In a battle for the last spot available for Group B for the Last 12 of the competition, Rwanda came up too strong for their regional rivals.

Paced by Kenneth Gasana, Rwanda saw off Uganda 92-79, and as a result, they become the only East African representative in the battle for a spot in next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup in China.

Kenneth Gasana has played a major role in Rwanda’s qualification for the next round of the African Qualifiers.

Gasana finished with a game-best 20 points, Elie Kaje and Olivier Shyaka added 16 points apiece, while Robinson Odoch, Jordin Mayes and Deng John Geu combined for 48 Uganda points.

It’s a highly significant victory for Rwanda, especially as these two teams became in recent years synonymous with the rivalry of East African basketball.

Uganda entered the second-leg of Group B trailing group leaders Nigeria and ahead of Rwanda but ended up in the last place, while Rwanda beat Mali 82-72 on Friday before closing out the First Round with a much-need triumph.

While Rwanda move to the next round with a 3-3 record, Uganda return home with a 1-5 mark and a lot of homework to do.

FIBA