FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Qualifiers: Egypt beat Uganda to lift Zone V title

Egypt are the new FIBA Women’s Zone V champions after outlasting hosts Uganda 74-65 in an entertaining final on Sunday at the MTN Arena in Lugogo, Uganda.

The win means that Egypt will represent the Zone V region in the upcoming FIBA Women’s Afrobasket championships set for 28 July to 6 August in Kigali, Rwanda.

Egypt will be making their 14th appearance in the continental showpiece and their sixth tournament in a row after finishing 6th in the 2021 tournament in Cameroon.

For the first runners up Uganda, their last appearance in the Afrobasket championships was back in 2015. Their last other appearance was in 1997 in Kenya.

Game Recap.

Raneem Elgedawy got Egypt to a strong 4-0 start inside the first two minutes of the first quarter before making a bigger run straight after Jannon Jaye Otto had scored to make the score 6-4 with 6:43 left.

Asrar Bakr converted her only three of the game and impressive shooter Radwa Salem added another to lift the Pharaohs 19-13 up with 58 seconds left to the end of the quarter.

As the game would later pan out, every run made by Egypt had an answer from the Ugandans.

Jannon Jaye Otto and Brenda Ekone made a ferocious run late on that reduced Egypt’s deficit to a point as the first quarter buzzer sounded.

The second quarter was no different as both teams counter-punched each other in front of a loud and packed MTN Arena.

With the scores tied at 24-24 just inside four second quarter minutes, Asrar Bakr made a right corner three-pointer that put some separation between the two sides but Uganda – through Otto and Maria Najjuma found a way to remain within a basket going into the break. Uganda trailed 40-38.

Signs of Egypt pulling away were visible in the third quarter as Soraia Deghady and Reem Moussa scored early points to push the lead to six; 54-48 with a minute left in the quarter.

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As Egypt’s intensity cranked up, so did Uganda’s fouling late in that quarter.

Leading 59-53 going into the final quarter, Reem Moussa did not wait for any second invitation inside the Ugandan basket, laying up on a fastbreak to put her side up by 8. A couple of plays in three minutes from Soraia and Radwa Salem had Egypt up by double digits.

The biggest play of the game- that perhaps put the game to bed- would come later on; with 1:36 left as Soraia Deghady knocked a big three to put Egypt 73-62 up.

The best efforts from Rita Imanishiwe and Brenda Ekone were not enough as Ehab Elalfy and his side stormed the court with Egyptian flags to celebrate the big victory.

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Uganda’s Brenda Ekone scored a game high 24 points followed by Egypt’s Raneem Elgedawy who put up a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The other double digits scorers were Radwa Salem and Soraia Deghady for Egypt and Maria Najjuma and Jannon Otto for Uganda.

In the awards ceremony afterwards, Rwanda was awarded the Fair Play award while Raneem Elgedawy was named as the tournament MVP.

Nadine Mohammed was named the best three-point scorer (13) while Kenya’s Madina Okot was the best rebounder with 72 total rebounds.