Kenya women’s national basketball team, Lionesses, are the champions of the 2021 Fiba Women’s AfroBasket Zone 5 qualifiers after defeating rivals Egypt 99-83 in an entertaining final staged at Kigali Basketball Arena, Rwanda, on Saturday evening.

Lionesses, who had thrown away a first-half lead to lose 107-106 in the group stages when the two sides first met in the tournament, vowed never to disappoint again and true to their word took control of the game from the first whistle to the last, leading in all quarters to stop Egypt and emerge champions.

The Kenyan girls who were hailed as physically fit started extremely well, winning the first quarter 29-24 with USA-based star Victoria Reynolds the top scorer with 11 points.

Felmas Koranga also based in the US scored eight, with Kenyan-based duo of Natalie Akinyi of KPA adding seven points and guard Melissa Akinyi of Equity scoring three points for the first break lead.

In the second quarter, Kenyan girls scored 21 points against Egypt’s 18 to go into the first half breather leading 50-42. On resumption, Kenya charged forward to score 27 points against Egypt’s 24 to take the third quarter 77-66 before wrapping up the show by scoring 22 points against Egypt’s 17 in the fourth and final quarter to win the encounter and tournament 99-83 at full time to leave assistant coach Jacob Opel ecstatic.

“It was part of our plan and targets that we had. So, there’s no time to rest now that we’re assured of going to Cameroon in September,” Opel said. 

Besides Kenya winning the overall title, individually, the Kenyan girls scooped three awards with Felmas Koranga winning the best power forward award as impressive Victoria Reynolds won two awards, the best tournament forward and tournament’s most valuable player (MVP).

  A super excited Reynolds said:  “We started the tournament really shaky against Rwanda, but we adjusted and that’s why we came strongly against Egypt. For the MVP award, personally, it hasn’t hit yet. We will make you proud in Cameroon.”