Basketball in Africa

Senegal 2007

As the Nigerian Lady Tigers had a very late match last night against Cape Verde, Congo DR and Mali, who were the first teams on the court in both Thies and Dakar centres, won their respective games over Kenya and Mozambique as the battle for the semi finals slots get to the very last stages.
Congo drilled Kenya 62-42 in a one-sided encounter while Mali defeated Mozambique 54-46 to keep hopes alive.
“I give all respect to our opponents but my ladies are picking up. They didn’t start the match too well but moved on well later. The problem has caused us a lot like what happened on Sunday,” Congolese coach
Mbuyi Kolela Sebastien said after the match in a veiled reference to the match against Nigeria, which they lost on Sunday.
The Kenyans who are not really a force in African basketball started the first five minutes well where they tied the scores at 5 but the end of the second quarter the gap had widened to 33-18. They scored only five points in the second quarter compared to the 13 points hit by the Congolese led by their celebrated WNBA guard Marie Mabika. In the last two quarters the Kenya performed no better with multiple turnovers and correct travelling calls against them.
The Kenyans will face further tests to their ability today as they face defending champions Nigeria in their last match of the preliminary round.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Dr. Amos Adamu was expected to join the national female basketball team in Dakar, Senegal today until he changed his programme and will now be at the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.

# posted by afrbk : 12:40