PRAIA (Cape Verde) - ASC Ville de Dakar made a strong statement on Friday when they defeated Kriola Star 68-42 in the opening match of the Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) qualifiers for FIBA Africa Zone 2 teams.
The Senegalese team quickly established an 8-0 lead and went on to lead by as many as 34 points. Jade Loville was unstoppable, shooting 6-for-18 from the floor, and eventually led all players in scoring with 21 points.
Her teammate Khoudia Fall dominated the paint, finishing with 15 points and 16 rebounds.
Jainaba Konateh of Gambia was the only Kriola player to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points.
Kriola Star posed little or no threat to ASC Ville de Dakar, a fact that was further illustrated in the second quarter when Kriola Star were outscored 19–2.
Although the Cape Verdean team improved considerably in the third quarter, outscoring ASC Ville de Dakar 18–16, the damage had already been done.
Speaking to FIBA.basketball immediately after the game, Loville explained how they had delivered such a dominant performance.
She said: 'It was important to come here, especially against Cape Verde, one of the strongest teams in this tournament. Obviously they are at home and feel comfortable. For us, it was important to start strong and make an early statement, and we are happy to have won."
She continued: "It's game one; we got the job done. Hopefully, we can do the same in the next game. We're not thinking about the finals yet; we're taking it one game at a time. We obviously have goals of making it there, but we have to break it down and take it game by game."
Meanwhile, Ornela Livramento, a three-time Women's AfroBasket participant, focused on the positives of the game.
Livramento said: 'We came here to do our best. It was a tough game because of the physicality — they are taller and stronger than us. Hopefully we will win our next two games."
The WBLA qualifier for Zone 2 teams resumes on Saturday, with Kriola Star taking on Fireball of Guinea.
FIBA