Unam Phoenix vows to rise from the ashes
Basketball
University of Namibia (Unam) Phoenix represented the country valiantly at the Women’s Basketball Africa (WBLA) Qualifiers held in Windhoek, vowing to come back stronger after qualification slipped away on Sunday.
Held at Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS) Indoor Court, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa Zone Six regional tournament saw Namibia field Phoenix against Malawi’s Bravehearts and Angola’s Sporting Clube de Luanda in Group E.
First-time hosts Namibia faced tough competition in their opening match against Angola on Friday evening, falling 98-52.
They were only the better side in defensive rebounds (49 to 41), turnovers (24 to 56) and shooting percentage (30.8% to 26.2% from beyond the arc and 66.7% to 63% from the free-throw line).
SC de Luanda vs Bravehearts
Angola’s SC de Luanda went on to face Malawi’s Bravehearts on Saturday and once again proved the better side, putting up an 83-55 victory.
Angola’s 38:53-minute lead saw them dominate in most aspects of the game, only coming off second-best in three-point shooting percentage (20% to 9.5%) as well as in assists and turnovers (15 to 10 and 38 to 27, respectively).
The two victories handed SC de Luanda a clear ticket to advance to the WBLA Finals.
With both teams being victims of Angola’s dominant run, Sunday’s encounter between Phoenix and Bravehearts was a decisive matchup to determine who would make the top-two cut to advance to the WBLA Finals in Egypt from 5 to 14 December.
The WBLA Finals are the premier women’s club competition on the continent, where Africa’s champion is crowned.
Phoenix vs Bravehearts
Group E’s final encounter was a tense clash that saw Malawi storm to an early lead, which they held for 34:57 minutes of the match.
Despite Namibia’s late surge that saw them come as close as one point down in the final seconds, their efforts were not enough to avoid a 58-55 loss, missing out on qualification to Egypt.
Bravehearts’ victory came from capitalising on second-chance points (18 to Unam’s 12), dominating the interior with 36-32 points in the paint to offset poor perimeter shooting (12.5%), and showing depth from the bench with 24 bench points to Unam’s 12 to widen and sustain the lead.
Phoenix also had their highs, with the main reason the final margin stayed tight being their ability to capitalise on Bravehearts’ mistakes, as they converted turnovers into quick points, including 27 points off turnovers and 18 fast-break points.
Namibia’s loss, however, was caused by poor team shooting and free-throw disparity, as they only shot 26.6% from the field and went 42.9% from the line. The missed free throws and low field-goal percentage cost them in a low-scoring contest where every possession mattered.
The loss means Phoenix settled for third place and will have to wait until next year for another shot at qualification.
‘We will come back stronger’
Phoenix’s youngest player and international competition debutant, Ashley Linda (#3), at only 19 years old, contributed 15 points, almost matching team captain Anna Iimene’s (#2) team-high of 16.
“I learned a lot at my first international outing. This tournament showed us that we can stand against the best on the continent if we push and hustle. Hopefully, next year you’ll see us again. We aim to come back stronger and not back down anymore,” she said.
Another Phoenix player, Jennifer Uchezuba, assured that this is not the end but only the beginning for the team.
“Come next year, we are definitely going to prove ourselves and make our name known. We are Phoenix, and that means we rise from the ashes,” she remarked.
– [email protected]
Held at Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS) Indoor Court, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa Zone Six regional tournament saw Namibia field Phoenix against Malawi’s Bravehearts and Angola’s Sporting Clube de Luanda in Group E.
First-time hosts Namibia faced tough competition in their opening match against Angola on Friday evening, falling 98-52.
They were only the better side in defensive rebounds (49 to 41), turnovers (24 to 56) and shooting percentage (30.8% to 26.2% from beyond the arc and 66.7% to 63% from the free-throw line).
SC de Luanda vs Bravehearts
Angola’s SC de Luanda went on to face Malawi’s Bravehearts on Saturday and once again proved the better side, putting up an 83-55 victory.
Angola’s 38:53-minute lead saw them dominate in most aspects of the game, only coming off second-best in three-point shooting percentage (20% to 9.5%) as well as in assists and turnovers (15 to 10 and 38 to 27, respectively).
The two victories handed SC de Luanda a clear ticket to advance to the WBLA Finals.
With both teams being victims of Angola’s dominant run, Sunday’s encounter between Phoenix and Bravehearts was a decisive matchup to determine who would make the top-two cut to advance to the WBLA Finals in Egypt from 5 to 14 December.
The WBLA Finals are the premier women’s club competition on the continent, where Africa’s champion is crowned.
Phoenix vs Bravehearts
Group E’s final encounter was a tense clash that saw Malawi storm to an early lead, which they held for 34:57 minutes of the match.
Despite Namibia’s late surge that saw them come as close as one point down in the final seconds, their efforts were not enough to avoid a 58-55 loss, missing out on qualification to Egypt.
Bravehearts’ victory came from capitalising on second-chance points (18 to Unam’s 12), dominating the interior with 36-32 points in the paint to offset poor perimeter shooting (12.5%), and showing depth from the bench with 24 bench points to Unam’s 12 to widen and sustain the lead.
Phoenix also had their highs, with the main reason the final margin stayed tight being their ability to capitalise on Bravehearts’ mistakes, as they converted turnovers into quick points, including 27 points off turnovers and 18 fast-break points.
Namibia’s loss, however, was caused by poor team shooting and free-throw disparity, as they only shot 26.6% from the field and went 42.9% from the line. The missed free throws and low field-goal percentage cost them in a low-scoring contest where every possession mattered.
The loss means Phoenix settled for third place and will have to wait until next year for another shot at qualification.
‘We will come back stronger’
Phoenix’s youngest player and international competition debutant, Ashley Linda (#3), at only 19 years old, contributed 15 points, almost matching team captain Anna Iimene’s (#2) team-high of 16.
“I learned a lot at my first international outing. This tournament showed us that we can stand against the best on the continent if we push and hustle. Hopefully, next year you’ll see us again. We aim to come back stronger and not back down anymore,” she said.
Another Phoenix player, Jennifer Uchezuba, assured that this is not the end but only the beginning for the team.
“Come next year, we are definitely going to prove ourselves and make our name known. We are Phoenix, and that means we rise from the ashes,” she remarked.
– [email protected]
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