JKL settle for fourth in Kigali
JKL's Hope Akello in action against Kenya's Equity Bank. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
The Ugandan champions needed to get into the final to take one of the two available tickets to the continental showpiece but fell short in their second defeat to KPA.
JKL Lady Dolphins failed to secure a ticket to the Africa Women Basketball League following a 74-53 defeat to eventual champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the semifinal of the qualifiers held in Kigali, Rwanda, last week.
The Ugandan champions needed to get into the final to take one of the two available tickets to the continental showpiece but fell short in their second defeat to KPA.
The misery was compounded Saturday evening when Mandy Juruni’s charges fell 78-74 to Equity Bank of Kenya to miss out on the bronze and settle for fourth place.
“I don’t think we fell short really. I think other teams recruited outside Africa and got themselves much stronger,” Juruni said after Saturday’s game.
The Lady Dolphins only added KIU Rangers’ Rose Amaniyo, UCU Lady Canons’ Shakirah Nanvubya and KCCA Leopards’ Martha Soigi to the team that won the league but came up against sides that recruited well for the competition.
“The girls really battled, and there were no easy wins from us. Obviously, our players need to get better individually, but I think we played our best, and sometimes that’s not enough against very good teams,” Juruni added.
JKL defeated Nile Legends and JKT Stars but fell to KPA and REG to complete Group B action before getting past Rwanda’s APR in a comfortable 75-58 quarterfinal clash.
KPA, REG fly high
Kenya’s KPA were crowned champions of the Zone V Qualifiers following Saturday’s 87-53 victory over home side REG in the final played at a sold-out Lycée de Kigali Gymnasium.
Led by eventual MVP Victoria Reynolds and centre Madina Okot, the Kenyan side led 22-16 at the end of the first quarter before creating a 14-point difference (44-30) going into the halftime break.
The home crowd went silent as REG struggled to keep up with KPA and ended up settling for silver.
Reynolds led KPA with a game-high 23 points and deservedly took home the MVP gong.
KPA and REG will now represent Zone V in the 2023 FIBA Africa Champions Cup slated for December 8-17 in Egypt.
