WBL-AQ: KPA, miss podium finish as Hawks place fifth

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), the African premier women's club competition silver medalists finished fourth in the Zone Five 2024 Women's Basketball League-Africa (WBL-Africa) Qualifiers after falling to APR 85-51 in the third-place match as the 11-team competition concluded in Zanzibar. 

KPA had failed to gain automatic qualification to the continental showpiece after losing their semis clash to Al Ahly Sporting Club of Egypt on Friday, pairing APR who lost to Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in the other Semis. 

Canadian Shaina Pellington, 24, and American-Angolan Italee Lucas combined for 46 points, the latter sinking 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, Kamba Yoro Diakite adding 14 for the win. 

KPA raced to a 9-0 start but Diakite's five-point run and a trey for Lucas made it 9-7. The Kenyans led again 15-11 but back-to-back treys for Italee snatched the lead from KPA as the quarter ended 17-15. 

WBL-AQ: KPA go down as Al Ahly, REG qualify

APR dictated the pace in the second quarter with Pellington sinking four as Alima Doumbia's trey and a layup for Grace Malu maintained the one-point game at 21-20. Coach Charles Mushumba's charges went 28-24 ahead with just over four and a half minutes to play in the second quarter. 

An injury-forced break that lasted about five minutes did little to stop APR as Chanel Mokanga bagged a trey on resumption, Pellington adding one more to see APR lead 33-25, Jane Dusabe making it a 10-point game shortly after. 

Selina Okumu brought the difference back to a single digit off the free-throw line but the Dockers could have easily been ahead had they been as clinical offensively as they had on defense. 

With less than three seconds, however, Lucas went on a four-point play to give her side a 39-27 advantage at halftime. 

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The Rwandese silver medalists went ahead 15 points in the opening five minutes of the second period, KPA finding it hard to sink their shots. An 18-10 and 28-14 dominance in the second half sealed the win for APR who will hope that a FIBA wild card come their way for the WBL-Africa set for next month in Dakar. 

Meanwhile, the clash between Equity Bank Hawks and Uganda's JKL Lady Dolphins for the fifth place came down to the last six seconds with the former holding on for 59-56. 

JKL led 22-17 in the first quarter, the second ending 13-all to see the Ugandans lead 35-30 at halftime. A third quarter 15-04 dominance for the Bankers gave them some breathing space, holding on to win despite JKL leading 17-14 in the final stanza. 

Maryann Nyagaki and Judith Pantaleo led the Bankers in scoring with 16 and 14 points respectively.