Basketball in Africa

For a third year running, the women’s league champions finished third, beating home side Les Gazelles 45-41 in Bujumbura, Burundi on Saturday.

KCCA lost at the semifinal stage in Tanzania (2011), here last year and on Friday in Burundi, the latter two defeats inflicted by Kenya’s Eagles Wings.
Eagle Wings went on to retain their crown with a 67-62 victory over fellow Kenyan side, USIU.

It’s often said that it’s very hard to pick yourself up to play for a third place tie especially when it comes 24 hours after a semifinal defeat . The other Ugandan side, Warriors, just couldn’t recover from the disappointment, something KCCA know how to do.
After the 71-56 loss to eventual champions Urunani in the semifinals, Warriors, league champions here, were beaten 61-84 by Burundian side New Stars to end up fourth. “When we lost the semi, the boys gave up the fight,” Warriors official Ivan Ntabazi said.                

ZONE V THIRD PLACE PLAYOFFS
MEN: Warriors 61-84 New Stars
WOMEN: KCCA 45-41 Les Gazelles
FINALS
MEN: Urunani 65-56 Espoir
WOMEN: Eagles67-62 USIU
Top Scorers (Women): Emma Nyakweba (USIU - Kenya)
M: Aristide Mugabe (Espoir - Rwanda)
MVP MEN: Landry Ndikumana (Urunani)
W: Silalei Shani (Eagle Wings - Kenya)