Senegal Roars Back with Ruthless Rout of Rwanda to Reach 2025 AfroBasket Quarterfinals

Senegal, the most decorated team in Women’s AfroBasket history, wasted no time bouncing back from their surprise loss to Uganda in the group stages to reaffirm their pedigree.

In a blistering response worthy of the eleven-time African champions, the "Teranga Lionesses," as Senegal's team is christened, crushed Rwanda 80–37 to book their place in the quarterfinals in emphatic fashion.

From the tip-off, it was clear that Senegal came with a point to prove, ready to annihilate any aspirations of an upset from Rwanda. Their defense was airtight, suffocating Rwanda’s offense and racing to a 20–6 lead in the first quarter. Twenty-nine-year-old forward Yacine Diop made her mark in the quarter, scoring 8 points, with her 21-year-old teammate Nene Awa Ndiaye adding 5 points to the team's tally.

In the second quarter, Senegal continued their scoring spree, leading 20–11 in the quarter. By halftime, the West Africans had built a commanding 40–17 advantage, leaving Rwanda with little hope of a comeback. Center Sokhna Ndiaye joined the scoring party with 6 second-quarter points.

The knockout punch from Senegal came in the third quarter, as the Teranga Lionesses scored 29 points, extending their lead to 64–26. With the point gap at 38, Rwandan fans quickly realized that there was no way back to redemption.

Rwanda, unable to find any rhythm, ended their campaign winless—a stark contrast to their impressive 2023 run on home soil, where they reached the semifinals.

This time, turnovers were their downfall. They gave up the ball 38 times, handing Senegal 40 easy points. By comparison, the Rwandans managed only six points from Senegal’s 15 turnovers. The battle in the paint was one-sided. Rwanda struggled to get the ball to their star center, Bella Murekatete, whose impact was stifled as the team relied on outside shots that rarely landed.

Senegal outclassed Rwanda in nearly every category—20 steals, 20 assists, and a monster 45–13 contribution from the bench, with all Senegalese players scoring in the game. Senegalese forward Nene Awa Ndiaye finished with a game-best 12 points.

In contrast, Rwanda managed just 7 steals and 10 assists in a night to forget.

Rwanda's coach, Cheikh Sarr, facing his native Senegal, couldn’t inspire a repeat of last year’s magic, as his side exits the tournament without a win.

At the end of the game, Senegal's Nene Awa Ndiaye commended her teammates for playing rigorously on defense:
"After the game against Uganda, we had to show our fans that the Senegalese team they know is back—and that starts with how we defend. When you defend well, offense becomes smooth, and we play better."

Meanwhile, Rwanda's Hope Butera blamed the defeat on a lack of team cohesion:
"Senegal is a very good team, and you cannot have 38 turnovers against a team like that. We weren't able to stay in the game. We made a lot of mistakes, and we have to be better as a team. We're better than this."

For Senegal, the mission continues with a blockbuster quarterfinal clash against the unbeaten hosts—Côte d’Ivoire, who will have the full backing of a packed 3,500-seat arena.

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