Group B APR 74-72 Sporting Alexandria Two-time WNBA champion Kierstan Bell finally lived up to expectations, shooting 5-of-9 from range in a 27-point route of the WBLA defending champions Sporting Club Alexandria and lead her APR side to a 74-72 victory on Tuesday night, December 10, at Marius Ndiaye Arena in Dakar. The result saw the army side qualify for the quarterfinals as the second best team from Group B while the Egyptians finished at bottom of the group. It was a do-or-die and I just set out to help the team win. We trusted each other and played together, knocking down the shots and picking our rebounds and we are happy to win, said Bell after the match. The match witnessed 19 lead changes and 12 ties, coming down to the last 25 seconds. Italee Lucas' driving layup gave the Rwandan side the victory after Alexandria’s Lianna Tillman missed a trey with three seconds on the clock. ALSO READ: WBLA 2024: APR edge DR Congo’s CNSS, REG women stumble Despite the holders dominating the paint 42-26, they had no answers for the trio of Kierstan Bell, Italee Lucas and Shaina Pellington who combined for 58, with the other 16 coming off skipper Charlotte Umugwaneza (9) and Kamba Yoro Diakite (7). The teams placed 1st and 2nd of each group and the two best 3rd places based on point differential qualified for the second round.
