REG secure first AWBL's Semi-Finals ticket
The game was so unbalanced that REG led by as many 40 points, prompting Mukaneza to rest her starting line-up for long minutes, maybe, thinking about their semis match-up against a familiar foe.
ALEXANDRIA (Egypt) - Every single Rwanda Energy Group (REG) player spent five minutes or more on the floor, a reflection of how coach Esperance Mukaneza managed her team in the one-sided encounter.
Although Universite de Douala led the game twice, REG became the first team to reach Africa Women's Basketball League's (AWBL) Semi-Finals thanks to the comprehensive 85-54 victory, Sunday.
"No matter how we rotated the team, the win, which qualified us to the semis, was the most important thing," Mukaneza admitted in a post-game presser.
"Regardless of the score we are happy to have moved on and won the game," the former Rwandan international player offered.
Douala stepped on the floor aiming to cause the biggest upset at the ongoing AWBL, and this was reflected when Larissa Mbong scored University's first five points for a 5-2 lead before Marie Ndoumbe extended the students' advantage to 8-4.
However, Group B winners with a flawless 4-0 record, REG didn't take long before taking the lead and ruin Douala's AWBL aspirations.
The Kigali-based side used a 6-0 run for a 10-8 lead, and even though Douala tied the contest at 10-10, Mukaneza's team never trailed again and led by as many as 31 points before the break.
A 51-21 lead at the break was solid enough to confirm REG's slot in the Last Four of the newly AWBL.
Tiffany Mitchell (24), Destiney Promise Philoxy (17) and Nia Clouden (17) combined for 58 of REG's 85 points.
Sensing how detrimental Mbong could have been, REG kept her scoreless for the remainder of the game as the 33-year-old signed out with just five points.
Cynthia Williams Amayaba, the only Universite de Douala player to score in double digits, finished with 12 points off the bench.
"We lacked concentration when we needed to handle the ball. We need to make adjustments," Mbong explained the reason behind her team's 21 turnovers.
Debutant in African competitions, high-flying REG will face the winner of the Quarter-Finals clash between Equity Bank Hawks and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), two teams they faced in the regional qualifier last month. " Those are two good teams. I have no preference," said REG's Betty Kalanga who contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds in the win.
The game was so unbalanced that REG led by as many 40 points at some point, prompting Mukaneza to rest her starting line-up for long minutes, maybe, thinking about their semis match-up against a familiar foe.
While REG have extended their AWBL winning streak to 5-0 ahead of the semis, Universite de Douala dropped to 1-4 and and will resume their campaign in the Classification Round for the Fifth Place.
FIBA