DAKAR (Senegal) - Rwandese silver medalists APR on Friday got their revenge against Friend's Basketball Association (FBA) when it mattered the most, coming from behind for a 59-49 win to storm the 2024 Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) semis.
The Ivorians had everything going for them in the second and third quarter after a closely fought opening quarter that APR led 14-13 but defensive blunders in the final stanza allowed APR a 22-6 show to take the win and reach the Last Four.
TURNING POINT: The match-up between the two sides lived up to expectations with APR's three-point shooting advantage, coming to their rescue in a final quarter 22-6 blowout.
Kierstan Bell shot back-to-back from range in the opening two minutes of the last quarter to start off APR's comeback.
Assouma Uwizeye levelled the score at 46 with more than six minutes on the clock and the Charles Mushumba charges shut down FBA's offense, restricting them to just three for the win. HERO: Shaina Pellington might have missed her two attempts on threes but she barely put a foot wrong on free-throws, converting 13 of 16 after drawing 10 fouls, adding four baskets for a team-high 21 points. She also picked six rebounds while providing four assists, two blocks and as many steals.
Bell's eight of 15 points in the opening half of the last quarter brought APR back to the game. STATS DON'T LIE: Converting 22/30 on free-throws made all the difference for APR who had drawn 23 fouls as their trademark treys were not falling (3-of-26).
FBA missed 10 of 15 on the line to go on and lose by a similar number, despite their bench outscoring APR's 24-5 and 18-10 on second chance points. APR led 17-10 off turnovers.
BOTTOM LINE: APR came in on a wild card after a third-placed finish in the Zone 5 Qualifiers but have proven themselves against the opposition.
In their second African competition, the Rwandese side has reached the Last Four, a massive improvement from their 0-6 from 2022 when the continental competition was hosted in Maputo. Meanwhile, in their first time of asking FBA will now be eyeing for a fifth-place finish. THEY SAID: "They beat us with fast breaks in the first match so we had to find a way to stop them as well as protect the paint.
"They had their run in the first half but we switched up our defense which worked in our favour.
"We now shift our focus to the Semis where we have to scout the opponent well and work on a few areas as our target is to reach the final and win it," APR head coach Charles Mushumba. "I have to congratulate my players for their resilience. We fought. We made adjustments after our first meeting but APR came out strongly in the last quarter to outrun us.
"We played at our own pace in the second and third quarter but APR changed up the defense, just as they did in the last match but despite expecting it we failed to make the switch to beat that and we couldn't score," FBA head coach Lémou Benga.
FIBA