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Having scored 19 and 21 points against Mali and Senegal, respectively, Jannon Otto is averaging 20 points.
As the Uganda Gazelles lace up to face DR Congo in the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2023 quarter-final playoff on Tuesday, Pulse Sports takes a look at the top players expected to carry the team over the line.
Jannon Otto
For her offensive prowess, small forward Jannon Otto is the player everyone expects to turn up every time Uganda plays.
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16:51 - 31.07.2023
BASKETBALL 2023 Women’s AfroBasket Championship: Top pictures from Gazelles training ahead of DR Congo game
The Uganda Gazelles sent shockwaves around the continent when they defeated 11 times African champions Senegal, 85-83, on Saturday eventually securing a second place in Group C.
The team’s recent success has come largely due to her ability to score the basketball, and a hot hand will come in handy for the Gazelles Tuesday night.
Having scored 19 and 21 points against Mali and Senegal, respectively, the naturalised talent is averaging 20 points.
Jane Asinde
Asinde overcame a slow start to the tournament by erupting for 20 points and nine rebounds despite being in foul trouble for the entire fourth quarter.
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The US-based forward had been limited to six points and eight rebounds against Mali but was the most efficient as Uganda registered one of her biggest wins in modern-day basketball.
Her athleticism and rebounding prowess will come in handy against a physical DRC side that troubled Egypt.
Claire Lamunu
Her performance off the bench in the first game against Mali earned her a starting place in the second against Senegal.
Having recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, and two assists in 14 minutes on Friday, Lamunu replaced Maria Najjuma in the line-up.
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She scored nine points, picked 10 rebounds and dished out four assists in 23 minutes.
That should mean she has earned her place in the line-up, and how she plays will be essential for the Gazelles.
Lydia Babirye
What is for sure now is that head coach Alberto Antuna is struggling with the options he has at point guard position.
The tried-and-tested team captain Flavia Oketcho was off-colour against Senegal, and yet Antuna has not suggested he has confidence in Evelyn Nakiyingi, who is yet to step on the floor in the campaign.
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The Gazelles have had to operate with just one guard on the floor in stretches of games.
At the most crucial point of the victory over Senegal, it was 18-year-old Lydia Babirye who was trusted with controlling proceedings, and she got the team over the line with clutch points.
The youngest player on the team will be expected to start again, and another big performance from her could help the Gazelles seal a quarter-final slot.
History beckons for Uganda Gazelles
The Uganda Gazelles will have a shot at history when they take on DR Congo in the quarter-final qualifier of the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2023 Tuesday night.
Having finished ninth in their second-ever appearance at the continental showpiece in 2015, the Gazelles will improve and get into the top eight by registering victory against neighbours DRC.
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08:53 - 31.07.2023
FIBA WOMEN'S AFROBASKET What Uganda Gazelles head coach expects against DR Congo
The win over Senegal is something Antuna believes the girls can use to realise that they can go up and compete against any team in the tournament.
DRC will go into the game with a 0-2 streak after falling to defending champions Nigeria and Egypt and are coming up against a team with a 1-1 record that includes a massive 85-83 victory over record champions Senegal.
Whereas losing their opening game against Nigeria was pretty much expected, the way DRC lost to Egypt shows that they are capable of standing up to any other team in the competition.
Considering how they played against Egypt, DRC clearly addressed their flaws from the clash with Nigeria and got better.
But by beating Senegal, Uganda have announced themselves on the big stage to show that they will be a force to reckon with.
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08:04 - 31.07.2023
FIBA WOMEN'S AFROBASKET Uganda Gazelles road to Afrobasket final now clear
And after winning one and losing the other to complete their Group C games, Alberto Antuna’s charges are now fully aware of what awaits them in the next rounds of the competition.
The 85-83 win might have been a narrow one, but it showed that the predominantly young team can withstand pressure when the stakes are high.
Jannon Otto, Jane Asinde, Lydia Babirye, Claire Lamunu and Melissa Akullu all put in massive shifts against Senegal and will need to replicate the same to see Uganda into the top eight.
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