Kenya’s national women’s basketball team, the Lionesses, concluded their FIBA Afrobasket qualifiers campaign in fourth place following a 80-63 defeat to South Sudan in the third-place playoff match held in Cairo on Saturday night.
The encounter was a rematch of their earlier clash on Tuesday, where South Sudan had dominated with an 86-69 victory. Riding on the momentum of that win, South Sudan came out strong, overwhelming Kenya with a blistering 32-13 lead in the first quarter.
Stunned by the early setback, the Lionesses regrouped in the second quarter with a spirited response. Christine Akinyi and Jemimah Omondi ignited Kenya’s resurgence with crucial three-pointers, helping narrow the gap to 44-38. However, a buzzer-beating three-pointer from South Sudan’s Adut Bulgak dampened Kenya’s momentum heading into the second half.
Despite their efforts, Kenya struggled to recover from their poor start. South Sudan maintained their grip on the game, outscoring the Lionesses 18-12 and 15-13 in the final two quarters. With the victory, South Sudan secured their first-ever bronze medal at the zonal championships, marking a significant improvement from their previous campaign, where they managed only one win.
For Kenya, Victoria Reynolds was the standout performer, delivering an impressive 21 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Omondi (13 points) and Mercy Wanyama (12 points) also reached double figures, but their efforts were not enough to overturn the deficit.
The Lionesses’ fourth-place finish marks a step down from their third-place achievement in the previous edition and is a stark contrast to their triumph in 2021 when they were crowned champions.
