Equity Hawks dominate Fox Divas in Zanzibar to secure quarter-final spot

By Robert Mutasi 

Equity Hawks, Kenya's women champions in basketball, turned a full gear of might to thrash Fox Divas from Zanzibar 87-48 in the ongoing round of the Women's Basketball League Africa Zone 5 Qualifiers in Zanzibar.

This convincing win booked a place for the Equity Hawks in the quarterfinals of the tournament as the team flexed offensive muscles, though equally strong on the defensive end.

The match was more or less one-sided, with Hawks dominating from the beginning.

Leading from the front for the Kenyan outfit was Judith Pantaleo, who scored 19 points, pulled down 4 rebounds, and provided 3 assists. 

Her efficiency rating of 22 depicts well her impact on the game as a scorer and also playmaker. 

Her ability to control the pace and rhythm of the game kept the Fox Divas constantly on the back foot.

Great game from Pantaleo, which saw the Divas never really threaten them at any juncture in time. Complementing the star turn of Pantaleo was a well-marshalled defense that led the Hawks to shut out the Fox Divas.

It was a spirited effort by the Divas, but their goals were stunted by the stout defense of the Hawks, which did manage to shut off passing lanes and actually minimized scoring chances.

This solid defensive work allowed the Hawks to transition quickly into offense, where their precision and teamwork made for easy baskets that gave them an early huge lead in the game.

By halftime, Equity Hawks was already leading by a high margin that left their opponents so far behind they could not mount any meaningful comeback in the second half.

Though the Fox Divas tried to come back and narrow the gap, Kenyan champions kept their cool to play a clean and methodical game that kept the opposition at bay.

Victory cements Equity Hawks' position among the top contenders in the qualifiers as it eyes advancement deep into the competition.

That is testimony to the hard work, discipline, and cohesiveness of the team as every player contributes toward the success of the entire team.

In the later stages of the tournament, moving forward, the Hawks should take that momentum created from this thumping win to make them stay in contention in the Women's Basketball League Africa.

On the other hand, Fox Divas will re-strategize and improve on their performances for the rest of the matches in the tournament, despite such a heavy loss.