PRETORIA (South Africa) - The just-concluded U18 Women's AfroBasket produced some awe-inspiring performances both at team and individual levels as Mali retained the trophy, extending their record to nine.
While the focus is more on team results, individual brilliance does not go unnoticed. So here are the 10 best players from each category from Pretoria.
Points Per Game
On her way to being crowned Most Valuable Player (MVP), Malian forward Oummou Koumare hit double digits in each of the six matches. She saved the best for last, dropping her highest score in a single game, 31, against Nigeria in the Final, to lead the rankings on points per game with 22.5.
She bagged 26 against Morocco, 24 in wins against Zambia and Cameroon in the Group Phase and Semis respectively as well as 16 and 14 against Rwanda and Angola.
After the group preliminaries, Rwanda's Brigitte Nibishaka led the stats with 22 points per game after three matches with Koumare second with a 21.3 average.
Resty Nanangwe was the highest scorer in the Quarters with 27 in Uganda's win over Tunisia, six more than Mama Sidiki Doumbia against Rwanda. The latter top-scored in the Semis with 24 as Mali dominated Cameroon.
Rebounds Per Game
South Africa’s Amarachi Cynthia was the star of the show for her side, going one better to be the tournament’s best rebounder, despite the hosts struggling, finishing in 10th place. She pulled down 49 offensively and 45 on defense, in five matches.
Cameroon’s Damaris Emedie who scored a double-double in all six matches for the Central Africans was next in this category after displaying an unmatched run defensively, pulling down a tournament-high 70 rebounds, 13 more than Cholwe Simubali who placed third in ranking, having played 5 matches.
Amarachi led the numbers offensively, getting ten more than the closest competitor, Abigail Isaac, who helped Nigeria clinch silver.
Assists Per Game
Fifteen-year-old Maimouna Traore was quite the revelation as she guided champions Mali to their ninth U18 Women’s Afrobasket title, giving 34 assists for an average of 5.7 assists per game.
Just like her teammate Koumare who saved the best for last, Traore dished nine in the Final, one more than her highest number before then, posted in the Quarters against Rwanda.
Morocco’s Chaima El Hakmi averaged 5.6 with Nigeria’s Idubamo Beggi completing the top three with a 5.3 average.
Steals Per Game
Eiza Louveton was Morocco’s lucky charm, leading the debutants to a ninth-place finish on debut, as she dominated the steals game in the tournament for a 5.8 average.
In the final classification match against hosts South Africa, she accumulated 13, more than double the highest number she had managed previously. Despite her ball-sharing and averaging 18.8 points, the North Africans struggled.
Uganda’s Modesta Anyango who, alongside Resty Nanangwe, led Uganda to an improved fourth-place finish averaging 5.2 assists per game to rank second. Hakmi joined compatriot Louveton in the top three with a 4.8 average.
Blocks Per Game
Arguably the best talent for her side, 15 blocks for Zambia’s Cholwe Simubali in five matches saw her emerge as the top-ranked player in the category. She exploded for 6 in their final classification clash against Zimbabwe to help her side finish 11th on debut.
Coming close was South Africa's Amarachi Cynthia who averaged 2.8, adding to her numbers as she finished the tournament as the host's top performer.
Efficiency Per Game
Eiza Louveton who led Morocco’s charge emerged as the highest ranked player in efficiency, fetching a tournament-high 27 in five matches. Averaging 18.8 points,11.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists, the rising star rarely put a foot wrong thus her numbers.
Cameroon's double-double 'machine' Damaris Emedie whose key performances propelled the Central Africans to the podium for bronze, on debut, was second with an average of 25. She managed double digits in the category in all but one match, against champions Mali in the Semis.
MVP Oummou Koumare settled for third with a 22.5 average while Amarachi Cynthia and Mama Sidiki Doumbia tied in fourth with a 21.2 average.
FIBA