Lionesses 'owned' by Rwanda as race for Women's Afrobasket ticket begins

Kenya women's basketball team, Kenya Lionesses lost their first match, played on Monday, 12 July, at the ongoing FIBA Africa Zone Five Afrobasket qualifiers against hosts Rwanda, in a 77-45 outcome to dent their chances of qualifying for this year's Afrobasket set for later this year. 

The George Mayienga-coached side go back to the drawing board to find the missing link as they prepare to take on newbies South Sudan in the competition that has attracted the four teams including Egypt. 

"We started well but lost our momentum allowing Rwanda to settle in the match and dictate everything. Generally we did not play well. We had alot of turnovers, we failed to make the easy baskets that would have ensured we remained in contention. Our execution was not good and so was our defense," 

"We go back and analyse our game and make the necessary adjustments going into the South Sudan match. It is a high pressure tournament but we take it one match at a time. Defense and execution on offense will be key in our next match," said Lionesses assistant coach Mike Opel. 

Mayienga entrusted Natalie Akinyi, Melissa Akinyi, Rose Ouma, Mercy Wanyama and Christine Akinyi starting berths as Kenya assumed the lead, stretching to a 7-2 lead in the first three minutes of the clash. 

It was an end-to-end encounter, not much of a suprise for anyone who had watched the two teams play two years ago in Uganda for the Afrobasket qualifiers. However, that was shortlived as Rwanda settled into the match and assumed the lead 

Tierra Henderson, who features for Phoenix Constanta in the Romania top tier basketball league, was the main act for Rwanda as she ran riots in Kenya's paint, scoring mid-range and three-point buckets to hand Rwanda the lead at 23-18 at the end of the first quarter. 

The second quarter was equally fought as Victoria Reynolds and Wanyama combined for a quick five points to tie the score at 23 points. Mellisa added a three-pointer to assume the lead at 23-26.

Rwanda quickly turned the tables to go top again at 27-26. Kenya headed to the half time break trailing by three points at 33-30. 

On resumption, Mayienga's charges looked uninspired and allowed Rwanda to annihilate them, picking from where they left scoring a quick trey on first possession to take the score to 36-30. Two more baskets stretched the Rwandese lead to 38-30 forcing Mayienga to call for a timeout with 7.55 minutes to play. 

"Are we okay? We don't look okay, what's the problem?" Mayienga posed as soon as his charges were at the bench for the timeout. "Calm down, avoid the bad passes, don't allow them to penetrate our paint at will," Mayienga barked sending his charges back on the court with instructions to go on man-to-man defense. 

His instructions did little to change the game as the Kenyans assumed a defeated demeanor as Rwanda immediately sunk a jumper for a ten-point lead. Poor defence and unnecessary turnovers continued to plague Kenya allowing the hosts to extend the lead to 44-30. 

Unimpressed with what was happening on the court, Felmas Koranga took matters in her own hands and drove past the Rwanda defense for a layup, scoring Kenya's only point of the third quarter. What followed was hard to watch for the Kenyan fans as Rwanda owned the Lionesses, as turnovers became order of day while Rwanda kept sinking their baskets to stretch the lead to 26 points at the end of the third period. 

Kenya played a relatively better game at the start of the final quarter restricting Rwanda to four points in the first four minutes of the quarter while managing six. It was, however, business as usual for Rwanda in the remaining six minutes that must have felt like a lifetime for the Lionesses and their technical bench as Rwanda scored 15 while restricting Mayienga's charges to 7. 

"I believe we did not execute the way we should have. They put us under pressure and it got to us. The first five minutes we were fine but Rwanda changed their defense on us and we failed to adjust accordingly. On offense, we rushed our possession and didn't settle into our plays to execute. We go back and look at where we failed like valuing our possession and getting the second chance points, " said Kenya's skipper Ouma.