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New Gazelles coach happy with first game
Paige Robinson led the team in scoring. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
The Gazelles played their first of two games against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday and came out victorious despite a slow start.
Uganda Gazelles head coach Goran Lojo was impressed by his team’s first game despite a slow start in Germany.
The Gazelles played their first of two games against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday and came out victorious despite a slow start.
From being down 17-9 at the end of the first quarter, the Gazelles, led by team captain Jane Asinde and newly added Paige Robinson, fought back to win the game 82-69.
“We were a little bit nervous at the start. It is my first game coaching this team while several girls are playing on the national team for the first time,” Lojo said after the game.
“So, it is normal, but the second quarter was better,” he added.
Uganda took the second quarter 23-12 to lead 32-29 going into the halftime break and never looked back thereafter.
The third frame ended 26-14 in favor of Lojo’s charges and despite losing the fourth 26-24, the job had been done.
“The third quarter was even better as we totally turned around the game. The top players today were Paige Robinson and Jane Asinde while the rest of the girls also did their job,” Lojo noted.
Robinson led the Gazelles with a game high 26 points, three assists and three rebounds while Asinde contributed 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Leslie Vorphal scored 10 points and collected, picked five rebounds and dished out five assists.
The Gazelles are in Frankfurt, Germany for a 10-day high-performance training camp from which Lojo will get a clear picture of his team ahead of next year’s busy calendar.
In February 2025, Uganda will take part in the Fiba Zone V Afrobasket Qualifiers in search of a ticket to the continental showpiece slated for July 25 to August 3 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Uganda Gazelles
Scrimmage result
Uganda 82-69 Ireland
