KIBAHA: TANZANIA’S Fox Divas secured third place in the FIBA Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone 5 Qualifiers after edging Kenya’s KPA 102–97 in a thrilling match at the Filbert Bayi Olympafrica Centre in Kibaha.

Fox Divas delivered a determined performance, recovering from a thirdquarter setback to outscore KPA 31–23 in the final period and seal a five-point victory in front of the home crowd.

The Tanzanian side started strongly, taking a narrow 26–24 lead in the opening quarter before extending the advantage to 48–43 at halftime. However, KPA fought back after the break, scoring 31 points against Fox Divas’ 23 to take a 74–71 lead into the fourth quarter.

With third place at stake, Fox Divas responded decisively in the final period, matching their opponents’ scoring output from the opening quarter and regaining control to complete an impressive comeback.

Evelyne Nakiyingi led the Tanzanian side with 31 points, while Hope Akello produced a commanding all-round display of 25 points and 15 rebounds.

Jescal Ngisaise added 18 points and six assists, while Gift Kaonga contributed a double-double of 14 points and 17 rebounds.

For KPA, Tonie Morgan scored a game-high 33 points, supported by Victoria Reynolds with 19 and Alima Doumbia with 18. Christine Akinyi added 11 points, but the Kenyan side could not withstand Fox Divas’ late surge.

The victory capped Fox Divas’ campaign with a podium finish on home soil, highlighting their resilience and ability to deliver under pressure against a determined Kenyan opponent.

In the tournament final, Rwanda’s REG Women BBC defeated fellow Rwandan side APR Women BBC 84–77 to claim the 2026 WBLA Zone 5 Qualifiers title.

Both finalists secured qualification for the continental championship.

In other classification matches, Burundi’s Dynamo defeated Les Hippos 74–66 to finish fifth, while Kenya’s Equity Hawks beat Tanzania’s Vijana Queens 73–46 to claim seventh place.

The Zone 5 Qualifiers brought together eight teams from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, with the competition running from October 17 in Kibaha.

The two qualifying teams will represent the zone at the 2026 WBLA continental championship, scheduled for December 11–20 in Cairo, Egypt.