DAKAR (Senegal) - The saying 'Its the hope that kills you' couldn't hold more true for REG fans who had all but counted a win after heading to the final quarter of their 2024 Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) quarters clash against home side ASC Ville de Dakar (ASCVD) with a 13-point lead.
The Moustapha Gaye-led side, however, pulled all stops to force over-time, going on to win the match 61-57, a repeat of their opening match where they came from behind to win 57-54 against Cameroon's FAP.
Elisabeth Dabou scored half of her 16 points in the fourth quarter; Foune Sissoko dropped six of her nine in the same period to pull the hosts back with the over 4,300 fans that flocked the 4800-seater arena singing their team away to victory.
TURNING POINT: The home side clawed into REG's 15-point lead to come within three at 51-48, Fatou Pouye tying the game at 51 with 3:36 to play, sending the entire Arena wild. The home side tied the match again at 53 and 55 forcing Over Time (OT) where they dominated 6-2 to win. HERO: Dabou scored 12 of her 16 points in the last quarter and OT to lead her side to victory. She completed her double-double with 10 rebounds, giving two assists and two blocks in the victory.
STAT DON'T LIE: Credit to the ASCVD bench who outscored REG 21-2. The hosts also dominated the paint 40-32 and 15-7 on second chance points, 14-9 on fast break and 14-11 on points off turnovers. The two sides only managed a single trey each in 16 attempts for Gaye's charges while REG had four more.
BOTTOM LINE: ASCVD crash REG's hopes to improve on their fourth place finish from last year, relegating them to the classification matches where the Julian Martinez-led side will now chase fifth place.
On their part, the home side hope to win the next two and continue history for their city , becoming the third Senegalese team to lift the title as hosts while ending decades of drought.
THEY SAID: "Credit to my players for remaining calm. The opening three quarters we fell into their system but a few adjustments saw us make the comeback. Our minimum target was reaching the Semis so this is a small victory that we celebrate for a bit then turn our focus to the crucial semis," Moustapha Gaye, head coach ASCVD.
"It was an intense and physical game. They are a good side and they kept playing to the end. There are a lot of things we could have done better. We missed some easy layups and open shot and generally, we beat ourselves," REG's Kayla Nicole Pointer.
FIBA