MEKNES (African Clubs Cup for Women) - Inter Clube de Luanda won their third African Clubs Cup for Women (ACCW) trophy in four years after beating archrivals Primeiro D’Agosto 61-60 in in an all-Angolan Final on Friday in Meknes, Morocco.
Li Malina led the new champions with 23 points as Inter Clube de Luanda reclaimed the ACCW title they lost last year to Mozambique side Liga Desportiva de Maputo.
D'Agosto led 38-37 at halftime before Inter used a strong third quarter to take a 50-44 advantage going into the final period.
With the Mozambique international duo of Leia Dongue and Deolinda Gimo - 24 and 11 points respectively - pacing them, D'Agosto edged ahead 60-59 with seven seconds remaining.
But coach Apolinario Paquete made the most of his international players's experience, with Angola forward Ngiendula Filipe scoring the winning basket in the dying seconds.
Filipe's team-mate with Angola, rising star Rosa Gala, had 10 points and three assists for D'Agosto, but the gold medal game belonged to Inter Clube de Luanda.
Both sides reached the Final of the eight-team tournament unbeaten in five games, thanks to rosters featuring some of Africa's best performers.
The new champions, for instance, counted with the services of African champions Nadir Manuel, Filipe, Catarina Camufal, Astrida Vicente, Felizarda Jorge, Clarisse Mpaka and former North Carolina University standout Italee Lucas, the 21st pick in the 2011 WNBA draft by the Tulsa Shock.
D'Agosto's roster included Dongue, Gimo, Angolan internationals Luisa Tomas, Nacissela Mauricio, Fineza Eusebio, Madalena Felix and Sonia Guadalupe.
Lucas was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and headlined the All-Tournament team that also featured Dongue, Gimo, Vicente and Mali international Meiya Tirera.
Club Omnisports de Meknes forward and Cameroon international Hermine Ngueko picked the top rebounder award.
Fans watching the ACCW Final got to see some of the players who may represent Angola and Mozambique, the two African teams qualified for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women in Turkey.
In the Bronze Medal Game, Kenyan side Eagle Wing beat First Deepwater of Nigeria 67-64.
United States International University (USIU) of Kenya finished fifth thanks to a 79-63 win over hosts Club Omnisports de Meknes while Nigerian side Dolphins finished bottom of the table after losing 62-59 against Ittihad Riadi de Tanger of Morocco in the eighth-place game.
The tournament was marked by the absence of 2012 ACCW champions Liga Desportiva de Maputo as well as I.N.S.S and Arc En Ciel, two clubs from the Democratic Republic of Congo that pulled out days before the start of the competition.
