Basketball: REG women advance to quarterfinals of the African games

By The Inspirer.

REG WBBC (Rwanda Energy Group Women’s Basketball Club) has qualified for the quarterfinals of the Africa Women’s Basketball League after defeating Jeanne d’Arc de Dakar from Senegal with a score of 65-52.

This final Group C game took place on the evening of Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in Dakar, Senegal, where the tournament is being held.

It was an intense match between the two teams, as they were competing for the second spot in the group, which guaranteed a ticket to the next round. REG WBBC started the game strongly, securing a significant lead thanks to outstanding performances by Aminata Ly and Destiney Philoxy.

The first quarter ended with REG WBBC leading comfortably, 26-11, over Jeanne d’Arc de Dakar.

In the second quarter, Jeanne d’Arc came back stronger, finding their rhythm, with Mbarka Diop playing a key role in scoring. The Senegalese side won the quarter 15-11, but the first half still ended with REG WBBC in the lead at 37-26.

In the third quarter, REG WBBC, representing Rwanda’s national energy company, regained dominance with stellar contributions from Kayla Pointer and Victoria Reynolds. On the other hand, Jeanne d’Arc players Bata Judith and Ndeye Sokhna tried to narrow the gap but struggled to recover from the deficit they faced in the first quarter. The quarter concluded with REG WBBC leading 54-42.

In the final quarter, the teams slowed down, and the game intensity dropped, with Jeanne d’Arc seemingly accepting their defeat.

The game ended with REG WBBC securing a 65-52 victory, confirming their second-place finish in the group and a ticket to the quarterfinals.

REG WBBC joins APR WBBC, another Rwandan team, which also qualified for the quarterfinals after finishing second in Group B.

In the quarterfinal matchups, REG WBBC will face ASVC Dakar, while APR WBBC will go up against Friend’s Basketball Association from Côte d’Ivoire.

Other quarterfinal games will see Al Ahly of Egypt face CNSS of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ferroviário de Maputo clash with Jeanne d’Arc. All these matches are scheduled to be played on Friday, December 13, 2024.