Club Sportif d'Abidjan (CSA) basketball club Cote d"Ivoire begin her quest for a comfortable place in pool-B of the 15th edition of FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women on a shaky note with a 45-38 points lose to Interclube basketball club of Angola.
The Ivories league champion trailed the Angolan in the first and second quarter by 13-05 and 11-08 points respectively for a half-time score-line of 24-13 points.
The CSA ladies came into the third quarter strongly playing a more coordinated game which paid off with a 16-12 points win to trail the Interclube side which parades the oldest woman basketball player on the African continent, Irene Guerreiro whose on-court leadership quality propelled the Interclube side to stop the ambitious CSA side from turning the table against them when both sides ends the last quarter with 9 points apiece.
Though CSA and Cote d’Ivoire national team guard, Kani Kouyate and her elder sister Mariama Kouyate recorded some impressive points of 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steal and 13 points and 5 rebounds was not enough to save their side from defeat.
Interclube grabbed 42 rebounds 25 of them from the defense as against CSA 36 while the Ivorian side turned the ball over 32 times against Interclube 29.
CSA will take to the floor against Sporting Club of Egypt while Interclube will battle Nigeria and FIBA Africa Zone-III champion, First Deepwater basketball club on Saturday in continuation of the championship.
BEN - 15th AFCCW: Alexandra Sporting shock defending champion 72-71
Appearing for the first time after nearly twenty years absence from Africa top women club competition, Alexandra Sporting Club of Egypt created an upset in the 2009edition of the final round of the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women with a 72-71 points win over defending champion, Desportivo basketball club of Maputo, Mozambique .
The Egyptian who entered the court as under-dog on the opening group-A game against the defending champion who have won the title back-back in 2007 and 2008 picking the first quarter by 15-12 points to set the ball rolling, but the defending champion fought back in the second quarter to win by 20-14 points to take a 32-29 points win going into the break.
But a more determined Sporting club came back strongly into the game in the third quarter to set the tune for her first group-A win with a 19-15 points and never gave up the one point lead even as the defending champion tried all within its arsenal to cancel the difference for an even scores of 24 points in the last quarter.
Sporting Lewa Maihlewa led the floor with a double double figure of 25 points and 13 rebounds while Heshan Hagar added 12 points and 5 rebounds to give their side a well deserved victory.
Sporting Club will Saturday take on CSA of Cote d’Ivoire at 1800hour while Desportivo will not taste action as their Day-2 opponent; Centremer of Democratic Republic of Congo is not on ground.
BEN - 15th AFCCW: ABC beat A’Potecnica 54-35
Abidjan Basket Club of Cote d’Ivoire Friday posted a 54-35 points victory over Mozambique A’Potecnica basketball club of Maputo in a group-A game of the 15th edition of Africa most prestigious women club competition at the Palais des sports, Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The former Cote d’Ivoire league champion looked a shadow of themselves in the first quarter allowing the Mozambican to run away with a 10-05 points win, but came back strongly in the second quarter to secure a 11-05 points victory in the highly defensive but explosive game for a low score-line of 16-15 points in favour of ABC at half-time.
The Ivories side began what looked like a complete pounding of the Mozambican when it took charge of proceeding from the third quarter with Ramatou Kone and Betty Kalanga recording 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals respectively as ABC took the third and fourth quarters with a 20-12 and 18-08 points wins to separate them and the A’Politecnica ladies.
A’Politecnica Flavia Azivhgra led the floor in scoring with 14 points and 7 rebounds and 3 steals while her teammate Iida Chaybe grabbed 10 rebounds.
BEN - 15th AFCCW: Energie surrenders to KPA 32-70
The energy in the ladies of host of the 15th FIBA Africa Champions Club for Women, Energie basketball club failed them on a night their fans expected them to go all out against Kenya Port Authority (KPA) by a whopping 70-32 points lose.
The Kenyan who took advantage of their inexperience opponent won in all four quarters by 24-09, 17-12, 17-05 and 12-06 as Joycen Memba led the floor with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals; Dorcas Anyango added 13 points, 2 assists and 2 steal with Irene Murambi picking 9 rebounds in the paints:
Eneregie basketball club young guard, Charlotte Babalola was the star of her side with 15 points and 3 steals.
The host will have their hands full Saturday when they take to the floor against a more experience side in ABC at 1600hour.
Day-1 results:
CSA 38-45 Interclube
Desportivo 71-72 Sporting Club
ABC 54-35 A’Politecnica
Energie 32-70 KPA
Day-2 Pairing:
Interclube Vs First Deepwater - 13.00Hour
ABC Vs Energie – 16.00Hour
Sporting Club Vs CSA – 18.00Hour