JKL Lady Dolphins’ impressive run in the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBL-Africa) Zone 5 Qualifiers hit a snag as they fell 100-61 to Egyptian champions Al Ahly Sporting Club in the final Group Phase match.
This loss marked JKL’s first setback in the competition, placing them second in Group A, but they advance to the quarterfinals set for Thursday, October 31.
Al Ahly SC, unbeaten in their Group Phase campaign, took control from the start, launching a 7-of-10 barrage from beyond the arc.
Nadine Mohamed spearheaded the effort, hitting three straight three-pointers to open the game, with teammate Pauline Hersler adding more from deep to push Al Ahly to a commanding 36-21 lead by the end of the first quarter.
JKL attempted to close the gap in the second quarter, with standout performances from Keren Becky Longom, who anchored both ends of the court, and sharp shooting from Brenda Ekone and Rita Imanishimwe, who hit back-to-back threes.
Despite these efforts, Al Ahly’s Reem Moussa and Raneem Elgedawy kept the Egyptian side firmly in control, contributing eight assists and 17 points, respectively, to help their team extend the lead to 56-40 by halftime.
Though JKL managed to keep within reach in the third quarter, trailing by just 19, Al Ahly closed out the game with a dominant 26-6 performance in the final period, securing their third century-score win of the tournament.
Nadine Mohamed finished with a game-high 25 points for Al Ahly, while Elgedawy added 21 points and five rebounds.
Ndioma Kane led Al Ahly’s rebounding with 11, while also adding seven assists for an efficiency score of 19.
JKL’s Keren Becky Longom posted her second double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Brenda Ekone and Rita Imanishimwe scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the effort.
With their spot in the Last Eight now confirmed, JKL Lady Dolphins will look to regroup as they face Reg Women BBC in the quarterfinal at 3 PM.
