The women’s senior basketball team -the Gazelles- beat Kampala Select team in a trial match at the Lugogo indoor as a precursor to the upcoming Afrobasket Zone five games that will be happening this month in Kampala.
The Gazelles will be representing Uganda in the upcoming Afrobasket Zone five games starting on the 14th to 19th of February at the Lugogo indoor Arena facing the continent’s powerhouses like Egypt, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Kenya.
As a way to prepare for the tournament, the team -yesterday on Sunday- had a friendly match-up against a select side from Kampala, which ended 79-52 in favor of the Gazelles.
The Select side was a pile of players dropped from the provisional team that was called last month in January and was coached by KIU’s Rogers Sserunyigo.
National team Captain Flavia Oketcho joined the Gazelles two weeks later but managed to steer her ladies to a much-needed confidence booster ahead of the party.
In yesterday’s friendly, the scorers were Hope Akello with 11, Agatha Kamwada with 10, Sara Ageno at 9, Leticia Awor with 8, and Susan Becca with 7 points to get the Gazelles underway.
Nicholas Natuhereza’s starting five had Shilla Lamunu, Evelyn Nakiyinji, Leticia Awor, Sarah Ageno, and Priscila Aber and the first quarter was characterized by a slow start before bouncing back to lead 13-11 and never looked back.
By halftime, the Gazelles were 18 ahead and the fourth quarter ended 67-45 but, two five-minute overtime periods were added, to have players show off as the team nears a cut, to compose a final 12-woman squad.
