• BASKETBALL

• Frank Rotich 3 months ago

So close yet so far for KPA as they finish sixth in WBLA after another narrow defeat ‎

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) women’s basketball team wrapped up their FIBA Women’s Basketball League Africa campaign in sixth place after a hard-fought 74–67 defeat to Sporting Clube de Luanda in the classification 5–6 match played on Sunday.

The Dockers went into the contest still nursing the disappointment of a narrow three-point quarterfinal loss to APR, a result that appeared to weigh heavily on the Kenyan champions.

Even so, KPA showed great character and stayed competitive against the experienced Angolan side for most of the game.

‎The match started on an even note, with both teams locked at 17–17 at the end of the first quarter. Sporting edged ahead slightly in the second period, but KPA kept the gap small and went into the halftime break trailing by just one point at 32–31.

‎KPA enjoyed their best spell in the third quarter, outscoring Sporting 24–23 to briefly swing the momentum in their favour and set up a tense final period.

However, Sporting finished strongly in the last quarter, dominating it 19–10 to pull clear and seal the win.

‎Despite the loss, KPA posted better overall shooting numbers, making 38 percent of their field goals compared to Sporting’s 33 percent.

The Dockers were also more effective inside the paint, converting 48.4 percent of their two-point attempts against Sporting’s 28.6 percent.

‎The decisive difference came from beyond the arc, where Sporting were sharp, shooting 46.7 percent from three-point range, while KPA managed 28.1 percent.

At the free-throw line, KPA shot 66.7 percent, with Sporting slightly lower at 64.1 percent.

‎Sara Nicole Dickey led the Kenyan side with 16 points, offering leadership and timely baskets, while Sporting’s Eleuteria Lhavanguane was the top scorer of the game with 24 points, punishing KPA from long range.

‎Although KPA leave Cairo without a medal, the players and technical bench believe the team’s performance was stronger than the final sixth-place finish suggests. They now see the tournament as a valuable learning experience and a solid foundation to regroup, improve, and return stronger on the continental stage.