Egypt caused the biggest upset at AfroBasket Women 2015 so far by defeating reigning champions Angola 53-52 on Monday.

The result ends Angola’s 18-game winning streak at AfroBasket Women competition dating back to 24 September 2011 when they won their first continental championship.

Egypt stepped on floor with nothing to lose, battling for all possessions, and the

attitude paid off along the way. They led by as many as eight points in the third quarter.

Angola’s poor shooting from beyond the arc not only exposed their struggles offensively, but it also boosted Egypt’s morale. Sara Masoud hit a long three-point to close the third quarter, and the North Africans never trailed again even though Angola cut the deficit to two points in the final seconds of the game.

Soraia Deghadi, one of the top performers in the tournament replied said, “I don’t really know. The coach may have a vision for me.”

In fact, Deghadi came off the bench for the fourth time in a row, just to retransform Egypt’s offense. Deghadi propelled Egypt with ten points and a game-high 5 assists.

Bottom Line: Against the odds Egypt, the youngest team in the tournament, who received a wild card invitation to participate in the tournament proved once again that discipline and tenacity always pays off. The reigning champions, on the other hand, played sloppy, turning the ball over 23 times, and never really matched Egypt’s quickness and determination to attack the basket.