3rd August, 2023
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Amy Okonkwo was the star as Nigeria’s Senior Women Basketball team, D’tigress crushed host Rwanda, 79-48 despite huge home support, to reach the final of the 2023 Afrobasket Women’s Championship in Kigali on Thursday.
Amy Okonkwo recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one block to help the team get pass Rwanda who had a huge home support.
D’tigress are yet to loose any match in the ongoing competition and are now gunning for their fourth successive championship trophy.
With the defeat of Rwanda, D’tigress have extended their unbeaten run to 23 games and will face the winner between Senegal and Mali in the final on Saturday.
Amy Okonkwo as usual, unleashed the necessary qualities as she recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one block to help the team get pass Rwanda who had a huge home support.
D’tigress were dominant all through the four quarters of the match recording, 22-6, 22-12, 17-14 and 13-21 to coast home a 79-48 victory.
The last time Nigeria lost a game in the Women’s Afrobasket was 2015 against Cameroon in the semi-finals.
Speaking at the post match news conference monitored, Head Coach of Rwanda, Sheik Caar, admitted that Nigeria is a power house in basketball and that they made three point looked easy and they had 45 per cent average.
“If you have a team making three points look easy and you only have just one player making points, how are you going to win a team like Nigeria?
“We tried but Nigeria are better physically and mentally, indeed they deserve to win and we just have to prepare harder next time,” Caar said.
Also speaking, Nigeria’s Head Coach, Rena Wakama, who had just two weeks to prepare the team expressed happiness over the victory.
“It’s a very good feelings I give kudos to the players who gave their best and have done very well to reach another final.
“Indeed it’s a great achievement and we look forward to playing in the final and winning the championship trophy,” Wakama said.
Wakama”s D’tigress records in the competition are, 69-35 against Congo, 83-65 against Egypt, 59-52 against Mozambique and now 79-48 against Rwanda. (NAN)