Uganda’s national women’s basketball team, the Gazelles, pulled off a stunning 73-70 overtime victory against 11-time champions Senegal on Monday to storm into the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in dramatic fashion.
Paige Robinson emerged as the heroine of the night, sinking a clutch three-pointer to force overtime before finishing with a team-high 19 points to propel Uganda to one of their most significant wins in tournament history.
The Gazelles started strong, dictating the tempo early to take a 17-16 first-quarter lead before stretching their advantage to 37-28 by halftime.
However, Senegal roared back in the third quarter, outscoring Uganda 21-8 to flip the game on its head (49-45).
With the game slipping away in the dying seconds, Robinson stepped up when it mattered most, draining a cold-blooded three pointer to tie the game at 61-61 and send it into overtime.
The Gazelles then held their nerve in the extra period, grinding out a historic 73-70 win to secure top spot in Group C and an automatic quarterfinal berth.
Alongside Robinson’s heroics, captain Jane Asinde (18 points), assistant captain Hope Akello (15 points), and Claire Lamunu (10 points) all delivered crucial contributions in a hard-fought team effort.
The win marks another milestone for the rapidly improving Gazelles, who had already announced their intentions with an 88-51 thrashing of Guinea in their opener, and beat Senegal in 2023 in Rwanda where they finished 7th.
Uganda now advances directly to the quarterfinals, avoiding the classification rounds, but for Senegal, the loss means they must navigate the classification rounds to keep their title hopes alive.
