KPA, Equity Hawks stumble in WBLA Zone Five qualifiers

Kenyan sides Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Equity Hawks suffered defeats in their opening matches at the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone Five Qualifiers in Tanzania, leaving both teams seeking a response in their second group games.

KPA lost 95-79 to Rwanda’s REG in Group A despite a strong fightback, while Equity Hawks fell 91-56 to another Rwandan side, APR, in Group B.

KPA showed resilience after falling 26-20 in the opening quarter, responding with a 24-13 run in the second period to take a 44-39 lead into halftime.

The Mombasa-based side maintained their momentum after the break, edging the third quarter 23-21 to carry a seven-point advantage into the final period.

However, REG produced a strong finish to turn the game around and secure a 95-79 victory, leaving KPA needing to regroup ahead of their next match against DYN today.

Equity Hawks, meanwhile, struggled to keep pace with APR, losing all four quarters. The Kenyan side trailed 18-9 after the opening period and went into halftime 40-26 down after conceding the second quarter 22-17.

APR tightened their grip on the contest after the break, taking the third quarter 20-9 before closing out the 91-56 win with a 31-21 run in the final period.

Equity Hawks will now look to bounce back against Burundi’s Les Hippos in their second Group B match today.