With about a week left to the Afrobasket, the Gazelles have intensified the training and working on final touches, as almost everyone has arrived in the camp.

On Friday, they took on Team Select, which includes “literally” the other stars and other young impressive players, in a practice game at Lugogo Indoor.

This was the first time the Ugandan basketball fans got to witness for themselves the game and work the girls have been putting in while in camp.

Some of the most anticipated players were the 7 foreign based players, who the fans hadn’t seen in a while, expect for Maria Najjuma and Janon Otto who played in the Zone V qualifiers earlier this year.

The Fans wouldn’t also wait to catch sight of Jane Asinde, who is among the most hyped players and had just returned from the GLOBAL JAM in Canada representing Africa in the BAL Select team.

There were so many positives and negative from the game, and since it was the first competitive game, and given it was practice, the team is expected to work on the few errors and become better.

First and foremost, Janon Otto went off, scoring 29 points and showing once again what she brings to the team. She’s undoubtedly the primary scorer for the Gazelles, shooting efficiently both from Mid-range and from behind the arc.

Otto has also shown that she can fit seamlessly in multiple systems that the Coach made and that makes her probably the biggest weapon for the Gazelles.

One of the substantial issues for the Gazelles is the lack of a consistent second and third scorer. Just like against Egypt in the Finals of the Zone V qualifiers, we saw that Otto can be taken out of the game and that means 1 or 2 people need to step up and deliver the goods.

The 12 man squad that was named all boasts of great scoring abilities, with most averaging 10+ points per game, but from the practice game, the most likely source in Asinde, Hope Akello,Ritah Imani didn’t fire as much as expected. This could have been been down to the rotations, as some players may not have gotten in good rhythm. This could be solved with the coming of Claire Lamunu who boasts of so much experience and is a force to reckon both offensively and defensively.

The Point Guard conundrum, the practice game showed the very many ways in which the players are versatile and can switch plays, one of the biggest questions though is who will be starting as the point guard for the team.

In the third quarter, we saw the Coach switch to a faster game based on fast breaks and pressing hard. During that period, both Flavia Oketcho and Evelyn Nakiyinji were on the bench while Abby Priscilla and Lydia Babirye got some minutes. It should be noted that Flavia and Evelyn are more traditional point guards who love to slow the ball down and take control of the game, but with a fast game, they may fall out of favor.

When the game was slower, we saw Flavia, Jane, Otto, Melissa and Hope all on the floor and this means size and getting in the paint. The paint play wasn’t as impressive though, the girls mostly getting fouled and missing out on some easy baskets.

The Gazelles now have more size, strength and ability compared to during the qualifiers and this will help them get to work in the paint, particularly Mellisa, Hope, Asinde and Najjuma.

The lack of screens was also very evident and it’s yet to be determined if this was a tactic or down to the little team chemistry.

Speaking of chemistry, the Gazelles showed glimpses of a few team weapons, moving the ball around quickly and beautifully to find an opening and strike at the right moment.

The foul situation was also an area of concern for most fans. The Gazelles were in the bonus 4 minutes to go in the second quarter and 5:30 to go in the fourth. The coach however showed that he could work a few pieces and solve that, as seen in the third quarter when they were pretty much okay.

The Gazelles also showed a lot of stamina, strength, hardwork, and adaptability to in-game situations. They played a mixed fast and slow game with a very relentless press.

They were able to get a couple steals, and also fast breaks which they mostly utilized well bar a few missed lay ups.

The fans were left wondering if the team shall have another practice game to try to work on the few issues that were noticed before setting off for Kigali.

Individual key takeaways

Janon primary scorer, shooting efficiently from midrange and from deep.

Mellisa and Asinde very dominant off the glass, with height and size.

Maria Najjuma can also make some impact off the bench, in case of foul trouble of any of the big guys.

Ekone can change the game, offers you more pace and draws fouls.

Flavia and Nakiyinji can slow the game down and take control of the situation.

Abby, Lydia bring in pace, some deep shots and can try to pick some rebounds.

Ritah Imani good for the rotations, she can get off some shots in crunch time.

It is yet to be seen where and how Claire Lamunu will fit in, but with her experience, we hope she’ll be a plug and play and help the team offensively and defensively.

All photos 📸 Toni Kamau/FUBA