Lionesses survive Rwanda scare to pick second victory in Afrobasket qualifiers – Capital Sports
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Kenya Lionesses survived a scare from Rwanda to win their second match at the Africa Zone Five Championship in Uganda, winning 69-58 at the MTN Arena in Lugogo, Kampala.
The Lionesses were off to a good start in the first quarter, but a slump in the second and third quarters almost cost them victory, but they bounced back to earn victory with an 11-point margin.
Once again, Mercy Wanyama was Kenya’s highest scorer, earning 16 points and nine rebounds, while Victoria Reynolds also amassed double digit points with 15 and skipper Melissa Atieno with 12.
George Mayienga’s girls had a brilliuant start and took an 11-point lead with Rwanda yet to get on the scoresheet after 5:38 played on the clock. Melissa accounted for five of those points with three beyond the arch and two from the paint.
Rwanda earned their first points in the match with 4:34 to play through Rosine Micomyiza who scored two out of three from the free-throw line after she was fouled outside the arch in an attempt to sink three.
Marie Imanizabayo then sunk from beyond the arc as the Rwandese ladies reduced the match to a six point game, but the Lionesses led 17-5 at the end of the quarter with Melissa, Mercy and Reynolds leading the hunt.
In the second quarter though, Rwanda came back better and scored 20 against 12 from Kenya.
They went on a 4-0 run to reduce the game to seven points and they further reduced the gap to five points with 38 seconds to play from the free-throw line.
Lionesses led 29-25 at the break.
In the third quarter, Rwanda outscored Kenya again, and they took advantage of the Lionesses’ failure to make the most of possession under the board. They went up for the first time in the game with a three-point pull up jump shot from Odile Tetero, leading 32-29.
The Lionesses however rallied to lead the game by a basket at the end of the third quarter, the scores at 48-46.
In the last quarter, Kenya had learnt their lessons and pulled up, outscoring the Rwandese 21-12 to pick the win and remain top of the five-team tournament.
