Equity Hawks, former champions of the Kenya Women’s Basketball Premier League, faced a challenging debut in the Africa Women’s Basketball League championships in Alexandria, Egypt, succumbing to a defeat against Angola’s Inter Clube with a scoreline of 80-55 on Monday evening.
Grace Malu, Equity’s Congolese import, emerged as the sole player to achieve double digits in the game with 10 points. Notably, Deborah Abunga, Maryanne Nyagaki, and team captain Melissa Akinyi each contributed eight points.
Malu showcased efficiency on the boards, securing nine rebounds, while Melissa and Betty Kananu tallied six rebounds each.
Eduarda Gabriel led Inter Clube to victory with a game-high 16 points. Despite Equity Hawks fighting back after Inter Clube’s early lead, they ended the first quarter trailing 27-19. However, a scoring slump in the second quarter hindered their recovery, resulting in a halftime deficit of 49-30.
Although Equity Hawks demonstrated improvement in the third quarter, narrowing the point difference, they faced another setback in the final quarter. Coach Ben Oluoch acknowledged his team’s need for improvement, especially in ball control, as reflected in the statistics that showed 33 points conceded from 39 turnovers.
Coach Oluoch commented, “This, however, is a learning process, and I believe we will come out better for the second match.” Equity Hawks will seek to recover in their upcoming match against Benin’s ASPAC on Tuesday.
In parallel, the national champions, Kenya Ports Authority, are set to begin their campaign on Tuesday against Congo’s CNSS. The dockers have strengthened their team with American players Dyana Shemiah and Antoinette Alyssah, alongside the return of national team player Victoria Reynolds.
The team also includes reinforcements such as Malian Aminata Semasekou and Madina Okot of Zetech. The core squad, led by Natalie Akinyi and Hildah Indasi, aims for a strong start in the competition.
