Uganda women’s U18 National Basketball team, the Junior Gazelles, have secured a place in the semifinals of the ongoing 2024 FIBA U18 Afrobasket after an impressive 69-53 victory over Tunisia in a thrilling quarterfinal on Wednesday in South Africa.
Coached by John Omondi, Uganda started strong, leading 20-15 after the first quarter.
However, Tunisia fought back, winning the second and third quarters 13-12 and 18-15, cutting Uganda’s lead to just one point at 47-46 heading into the final period.
The Junior Gazelles surged in the fourth quarter with a commanding 11-0 run, never looking back as they closed out a well-deserved win.
Resty Nanangwe was a standout for Uganda, dominating with a game-high 27 points.
Immaculate Adongpiny and Shiprah Kiranda contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively.
For Tunisia, Nour Horchani and Rim Arbi scored 13 and 10 points, with Arbi adding 10 rebounds.
This marks Uganda’s highest achievement in the competition, now in their fifth appearance.
They previously finished 11th in their debut in Tunisia (2008), followed by back-to-back 8th place finishes in Egypt (2016) and Mozambique (2018), and a fifth-place finish in Madagascar (2022).
The victory is particularly significant as Tunisia are former champions, having won the title in 2004 and finished as silver medalists in 2008.
Uganda will now face the winner of the quarterfinal between Nigeria and Egypt in the semifinals.
The two finalists will earn a spot in the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic.
https://sportsnation.co.ug/2024/09/11/junior-gazelles-advance-to-fiba-u18-afrobasket-semifinals/
