WBL-AQ: Nyagaki, Kananu power Equity Hawks to victory
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 27.10.24. | 18:27
The side shift their focus to REG on Monday 28 October where they go up against fellow Kenyans Victoria Reynolds and Mercy Wanyama
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) women’s league champions Equity Hawks opened their Women's Basketball League-Africa (WBL-Africa) Qualifiers with a 73-51 win over Burundi's Gladiators.
The Benson Oluoch-coached bankers have been placed in Group C of the 11-team competition that got underway on Sunday 27 October in Zanzibar, Tanzania. They play the Burundians, hosts Fox Divas and Rwanda Energy Group (REG).
Two teams are set to qualify automatically for the WBL-Africa set for December in Dakar, Senegal. Hawks got a wild card in last year’s event that ran as Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) before rebranding for this year, going on to finish sixth. They had placed third in the Zone Five Qualifiers behind Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Rwanda Energy Group (REG).
In the opening match of the competition, Maryann Nyagaki was good for 8-of-11 on field goals, adding one point off the free-throw line for 17, three more than Betty Kananu who scored 10 of her 14 in the first quarter, with back-to-back treys.
"It was a good first game that gave us the momentum for the competition. We will build on this going forward, take it one game at a time. Our target for now is to qualify for the quarters then take it from there," Nyagaki said after the game.
The bankers raced to a 27-07 start as Kananu dictated pace with her treys, Melissa Akinyi adding a three to the tally for the 20-point lead early on.
Gladiators played their best basketball in the second quarter, going ahead 19-14 to cut their deficit by five heading to the half-time break. The bankers came off the lockerooms determined to lock the win, going on a 16-08 run for a 65-42 win heading to the final stanza.
Gladiators were, again, the better side in the last 10 minutes, outscoring Hawks 17-16 but it was too little too late to make a difference.
The Burundians charge was led by Francine Mukendi with a 12-point, 11-rebounds double-double as Naomie Muco and Nelly Sandra Nsanzabaganwa added 13 each to the final tally.
The side shift their focus to REG on Monday 28 October where they go up against fellow Kenyans Victoria Reynolds and Mercy Wanyama.
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