Glory Mgowano and Rose Katamboy starred as Tanzania defeated Tunisia 70-59 to secure seventh place at the FIBA U16 Women’s AfroBasket 2025. Mgowano hit 27 points from deep, while Katamboy added 20 in the East Africans’ second win.
Last Updated on
September 13, 2025
Glory Mgowano and Rose Katamboy were the standout performers for Tanzania offensively as the side played for a 70-59 victory over Tunisia to place seventh at the ongoing FIBA Women's U16 AfroBasket in Kigali, Rwanda.
This was the second win for the East African side against the same opponent in this year's competition, as both sides landed Group A with Tanzania dominating 60-53. This win saw them qualify for the quarter-finals.
After falling 83-25 to six-time silver medalists Egypt in the Last Eight, Tanzania made sure to exit the competition in style with one more victory.
Mgowano and Katamboy scored 27 and 20, respectively, contributing more than half of their side's points. The duo's contribution was enough to silence Tunisia, which had four players scoring in double digits. Rahma Nefzi and Rihem Omri led with 15 apiece.
Tanzania's top scorer, shooting guard Mgowano, scored all her 27 points from deep, attempting a single shot inside the circle with no free throws awarded. She added six rebounds to her tally, all on defense.
The rebounding was led by Theresa and Anna Laizer, both picking 10, with the latter coming two points short of a double-double.
Despite turning the ball over 25 times, ten more than the Tanzanians, Tunisia managed to minimise the damage, allowing 17 points off those while scoring a similar number. The East Africans outscored Tunisia 18-8 on second-chance points in the victory.
In an opening quarter that was closely contested, Katamboy scored nine to lead Tanzania to a 19-14 quarter. Mgowano, who had dropped a buzzer-beating three at the conclusion of the first, added two more in the second as partner in crime Katamboy scored five in a 17-14 quarter that gave them an eight-point lead.
Nefzi's trey in the opening two minutes of the second half brought Tunisia to within three points at 39-34 as Tunisia mounted a comeback attempt. The three-point maestro was, however, at hand to drop four crucial threes for an 18-17 quarter for a nine-point lead.
In the fourth quarter, Tunisia continued to fight, but a 16-14 scoreline sealed the win for Tanzania, who maintained the same ranking they managed on debut in 2019. Tunisia, meanwhile, fourth in the last edition, settled for eighth place.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
