DAKAR (Senegal) - Alexandria Sporting Club (ASC), the Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) defending champions, were put to the test by newcomers Friends Basketball Association (FBA), holding on for a 65-49 victory. The Egyptian side, chasing a historic third consecutive African title, came into the competition with seven new players from the squad that did duty in their backyard last year.
A 15-7 scoring run in the final quarter guaranteed the Alexandria-based side a win. Hala Elshaarawy led the charge for the defending champions, registering a double-double, the first of the competition with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
TURNING POINT: The champions led by 10 (27-17) in the opening four minutes of the second quarter but Sarah Berthé shot back-to-back from range, Aminata Konaté adding one more down the stretch to pull the Ivorians back for 34-31 heading to the changeover.
A 16-11 third quarter show gave the Egyptians an 8-point advantage (50-42) heading to the final quarter. The difference proved crucial as FBA attempted a comeback in the final stanza, carrying the Amr Elmaraghy-coached side to victory.
HERO: Hala Elshaarawy' double-double, in just under 29 minutes on the floor, ensured the holders started their campaign on a winning note. American Kristen Spolyar was the only other player to hit double digits on points with 12, adding five assists to her tally, one more than Asrar Bakr.
STATS DON'T LIE: ASC dominated the paint 28-18 but FBA kept the other numbers close, going behind 17-13 from bench contribution and 16-11 point off turnovers. The Ivorians shot 50% from the free throw line, missing eight, some in crucial moments that could easily have turned the game in their favour.
BOTTOM LINE: The Alexandria- based side is 15-0 in the continental competition, having won the last two championships unbeaten and their chase for a historic third begins on shaky ground. Meanwhile, newcomers FBA are hoping to bounce back and continue their fairy tale that has seen them win the Ivorian league back-to-back and gone on to dominate the Zone Three Qualifiers to debut in the continental showpiece.
THEY SAID: "We lacked consistency in this game. We had our runs but fell back into old ways allowing them to pull away. We should have played our game. We will work on these issues before the next match," Lémou Benga, head coach FBA.
"We did not play our best as the players are still tired after a 24-hour journey to get here. We expect a better show in the coming matches, but turning the ball over 17 times was the first thing I talked to my players about as that cannot happen in coming matches," Amr Elmaraghy, head coach ASC.
FIBA