The Gazelles saw their Women’s AfroBasket semifinal hopes slip away by the narrowest of margins on Thursday, falling 69-68 to a gritty South Sudan side in a game defined by big swings and missed chances.
After a confident start, Uganda looked poised to take control, jumping out to a 15-6 lead in the opening minutes. But their rhythm was quickly disrupted by South Sudan’s response from deep. A barrage of three-pointers flipped the momentum and had the Gazelles chasing for the rest of the game.
Despite a brief third-quarter resurgence that gave Uganda a one-point lead heading into the fourth, the final minutes came down to composure. And when it mattered most, the Gazelles blinked. Melissa Akullu missed two critical free throws with six seconds left, sealing the game for South Sudan.
Uganda had come into the tournament riding high after winning both of their group stage games and earning a two-day rest before the quarterfinal. But on the night, they struggled to find consistency from the free-throw line, converting only 15 of 25 attempts, and were outscored in the paint 38-26.
With key forward Hope Akello benched early due to foul trouble, the Gazelles lost an important presence on both ends of the court. The absence was felt as South Sudan’s physicality and hustle dominated the inside game, while their shooters kept finding just enough rhythm to stay ahead.
Akullu led Uganda with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Jannon Otto added 14 points in a tireless performance. But it wasn’t enough to counter South Sudan’s depth and clutch execution, particularly from guard Delicia Washington, who finished with 17 points.
The Gazelles will now shift focus to classification matches, but this loss will sting.
A semifinal berth—and a guaranteed spot in the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers—was within reach. For now, Uganda will reflect on what could have been, especially in a game decided by a single point and missed free throws.
