KIGALI (Rwanda) - Hungary were ruthless on Sunday, beating Senegal 63-47 to win the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Kigali, Rwanda.
After suffering a shocking 63-61 win to Senegal in Group C last week, Peter Volgyi's team stepped on floor knowing that allowing Senegal to apply their physicality and fast-break plays would turn out costly.
The Hungarian not only moved the ball exceptionally well, but they also locked in defensively to end Senegal's winning streak in the competition.
Both Hungary and Senegal closed their campaigns with a 4-1 mark apiece.
Turning Point
Diagne Fatou opened the score to spark Senegal's largest lead (19-16) in the second quarter. However, Hungary responded with a 5-1 run to take a 21-20 lead, and the European never trailed again.
The Women's EuroBasket 2023 semi-finalists went on to lead by as 22 points in the third quarter, ending any Senegal's hope of fighting back.
Player of the Game
Virag Kiss came off the bench - once again in the competition - to dominate Senegal's painted area with class and admirable skillset.
Kiss finished 6-for-8 to go away with a team-high of 17 points while adding 4 rebounds.
Stats don't lie
Playing at such high level, there was no way Hungary would lose this title game. With Senegal's poor shooting from behind the arc (1 for 11), and Hungary's 22 assists compared to Senegal's 12, it's fair to say that the better team came up on top.
Another huge difference between Senegal and Hungary? The winners' bench outscored their opponents' 32-15.
Bottom line
Prior to the final Peter Volgyi and Reka Lelik were clear about their ambition in Kigali. They insisted that Hungary was playing at a much better level compared to their opening loss to Senegal, and this became evident right at the start of the game when Hungarians kept their composure and wait for Senegal's mistakes.
Six turnovers in the second quarter was the last straw for Senegal, and Hungary kept capitalising from them.
Midway through the tournament, and the numbers are there to attest it, there was never a question who the best team in the tournament. Hungary deservedly came up on top of this eight-team tournament.
They said
"We forced a team that finished fourth at EuroBasket [2023] to play their game. This is a big win for Senegal, for my players. I am really optimistic about the future of this team." - Senegal head coach Otis Hughley Jr.
"We achieved our main objective, and I am happy for my players. They had a tough game [against Rwanda] and the Senegalese team was probably a bit exhausted. It's not easy to play five games in one week." - Hungary head coach Peter Volgyi.
FIBA