Thursday, June 13 Boys Rwanda 70-52 Kenya Girls Rwanda 65-48 Kenya Rwanda’s U18 boys’ and girls’ teams saw off Kenya in Thursday’s semifinals to cement spots in the final of the U18 FIBA AfroBasket Zone V qualifiers taking place at Lugogo Indoor Stadium in Kampala, Uganda. Point guard Dylan Lebson Kayijuka scored 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists while Juru Cedrick Ntigurigwa and Jonas Singiza added 12 and 10 points respectively as Rwanda beat Kenya 70-52 to set a final date with either hosts Uganda or Tanzania who face off in another semifinal. ALSO READ: Rwanda face Kenya in U18 FIBA Zone V semis Rwanda led the first quarter 16-11 and the second quarter 26-18 going into halftime with a 42-29 lead. In the second half, Kenya bounced back to claim the third quarter with 14-10 but Rwanda won last quarter 18-11 to firmly take home the win. ALSO READ: AfroBasket U18 Qualifiers: Kayijuka stars as Rwanda rout Kenya in opener Head coach Yves Murenzi commended his boys for their outstanding performance, before issuing a warning to rivals that his team “is more than ready” for the final. “We are not sparing any effort in getting the win because that way we can qualify for the Afrobasket,” Murenzi said. In girls’ qualification tournament, Rwanda booked a ticket for the final game after beating Kenya 65-48 in the semi-final. Just like the boys’ team, they will face either Uganda or Tanzania who have a match between them to decide the finalist. The finals will take place on Friday, June 14.
