Gazelles narrowly defeated by hosts in Women’s AfroBasketball zone V qualifiers

Result

Egypt 65:62 Uganda

In a thrilling match at the ongoing FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Zone V qualifiers in Cairo, Egypt narrowly defeated the Gazelles by just 3 points at Hassan Moustafa Hall.

Egypt struck first with a quick two-pointer, but Jane Asinde responded almost immediately to level the score.

However, the hosts were clinical, efficient, and aggressive throughout the first quarter, and by the 5:56 mark, Egypt had built a 9-point lead, with the score standing at 13-4.

Despite Uganda’s attempts to close the gap, they trailed by 9 points as the quarter ended, with the score reading 23-14 in favor of Egypt.

In the second quarter, Uganda made a push to reduce the deficit, cutting it down to 7 points at one point.

But missed free throws and costly turnovers allowed Egypt to maintain control.

At the halftime buzzer, Uganda had fought back, with Jane Asinde, Paige Williams, and Hope Akello leading the charge.

The score was 33-32, with Uganda trailing by just a single point.

The third quarter saw Egypt regrouping defensively and maintaining their lead.

At the end of the period, the score was 46-41 in favor of the hosts.

The game remained tight in the fourth quarter, with Uganda briefly taking a one-point lead (53-52) through Asinde at the 4:40 mark.

However, Egypt quickly reclaimed the lead, and at 3:58, they were back in front at 54-53.

Uganda’s hopes were further dashed when star player Shilah Lamunu missed two crucial free throws, allowing Egypt’s Raneem Elgedawy to sink a devastating three-pointer.

With just a minute remaining, Lamunu redeemed herself by making two successful free throws, but Egypt answered with another two-pointer to seal the win.

Despite Uganda’s strong 21-point effort in the final quarter, Egypt’s 19-point finish proved to be just enough for the hosts.

Paige Robinson’s 24 points and 4 rebounds, along with Jane Asinde’s 18 points and 5 rebounds, were standout performances for Uganda.

However, the team’s 24 turnovers ultimately proved costly.

Egypt’s Raneem Elgedawy led all scorers for Egypt with 20 points, helping the hosts improve to 2-0 in the tournament after their earlier win over Burundi.

Uganda will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face South Sudan tomorrow at 7:00 PM East African time.