Basketball in Africa

By PHILIP ONYANGO

Kenya’s Eagles Wings put up a brilliant show but still went a head to lose 66-53 to ABC from Cort d’Ivoire in their opening match of the 14th Fiba Africa Cup for women clubs at the Nyayo National Stadium gymnasium on Thursday evening.

Wings, who are battling in a tough group A, could but still could not match the more skillful Cort d’Ivoire champions whose offense was a combination of well executed shots and refined post plays which Wings completely failed to stop.
ABC also overwhelmed the Kenyans with a well knit defence which was a combination of pressure and zone locking out the Eagles Wings main players among them national team vice captain Caroline Majeng, Eunice Ouma, Rebecca Serange, Maurine Andalia and Annastacia Njeri.
ABC led 18-15 in the first quarter and 36-30 at the break but were down by 16 points on the third quarter which they played badly trailing 10-20 before picking up in the last quarter which won 13-10.
Caroline Achieng and Eunice Ouma scored 12 and 11 points respectively to top score for Eagles Wings with other contributions coming from Bridgit Wanzala who made seven points and Rebecca Serange six and Evelyne Kedogo four.
ABC were lifted by F Amara and S, Abbady who scored 12 points each while P. Ngoy and S.Berte scored eleven points each.
Eagle Wings coach Thomas ‘Smarts’ Olumbo said his charges could have won the game if they did not panic early in the game and promised to make corrections in the next games.
“My players panicked and were never patient with the ball alowing our apponents who shot very well and had a good rotation very easy possessions”, Olumbo said.

In the last match of the evening, Primero de Agosto of Angola survived a big scare from First Bank of Nigeria winning 63-58 in the last minutes.

First bank who started the match as underdogs took the game to the Angolans and ensured they cancelled every basket their opponents scored with Veterans Udoka Mfon,Oselabi Funmilayo and Ekoromadu Joyce all members of the national team playing their hearts out.

Primero, with six national team players among them mother and duaghter Cardoso Angela and Masela Bokanuba,Ventrura Doluitila , Maurcicio Nacissela and Capinga Sofia were on the driving seat throughout this encounter which the Nigerians tied atleast four times.
Doluitila scored a game high 17 points while Angela and Nacissela scored nine points each for de Agosto.