U16 AfroBasket Women: No Home Joy For Rwanda As Côte d’Ivoire Dominate In Quarterfinal Win

No Home Joy For Rwanda As Côte d’Ivoire Dominate In Quarterfinal Win

The Ivorians had the firepower of Emmanuela Adeola Adjoa and Jane Diomande throughout the game as Adjoa finished with 26 points and grabbed an unprecedented 19 rebounds, with 11 of the rebounds happening in the hosts' end of the court. She also provided two assists and made five blocks. Another Ivorian, Diomande, was a trusted ally in the victory as she went on to contribute 16 points and five rebounds. For the hosts, Chalva Gaju was the standout performer as she posted 14 points, seven rebounds and made two steals.

A nervy start from both teams saw the fans wait for almost three minutes before the first basket was made. Sarah Keita and Yasmine Traore had given the Ivorians a 4-0 run before Husina Akaliza dropped a three-pointer to send the home crowd into a frenzy and create a tone that was needed for a big game night. But the excitement didn't last for long as the Ivorians started running off with the game in the closing stages of the first quarter before eventually closing it out with a nine-point lead at 19-10.

The home side, however, came out strongly in the second quarter. Amidst plenty of misses, turnovers, and some solid defensive displays from both teams, they managed to edge the quarter by one point after both sides had amassed a combined 19 points. And with the halftime score at 20-28, the chase for the semifinal ticket was definitely going to heat up in the second half.

By the time the third quarter tipped-off, the hosts were no match for the West Africans as the dynamics of the game changed in the closing moments after the Ivorians had opened up a healthy lead with the hosts trailing by as much as 18 points at the end of the quarter where Emmanuela had blocked a shot to brilliantly spell out the dominance as both sides headed for the final quarter.

The hosts couldn't shake off the dominance and points deficit. The final quarter went just like the third quarter as the Ivorians ran out with a 22-12 win to eventually close out the game with a blowout score of 69-41 and advanced to the semifinals, while the hosts would have to settle for a classification game.

In the end, the lead never changed at any point in the game, with the Ivorians dominating from start to finish, scoring 42 points off turnovers made by the Rwandans, who could only muster 10 points from a similar position. Points dominance from the paint stood at 58 for the Ivorians and 22 for the home side, while their benches contributed 24 and six points respectively.

Côte d’Ivoire will now head into the semifinals to play their West African rivals, Mali, who had easily advanced past Angola in the quarterfinals and will be looking to reach their 9th straight semifinals in this tournament.

[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]