The Vitality Nations Cup, a two-weekend tournament hosted by the Vitality Roses of England, had its semifinals on Feb. 8, between Malawi and South Africa, England and Uganda at Copper Box Arena.
England and South Africa won their game day one opening games the previous weekend, which were played at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. The Vitality Roses had a massive win over the Malawi Queens (62-36) and the SPAR Proteas of South Africa secured a win against the SheCranes of Uganda (75-40). On game day two, England faced off with South Africa in a hotly contested matchup, ending with South Africa winning by a two-point difference (61-59). Uganda played against Malawi, which secured its first win (59-45).
Semifinals South Africa vs. Malawi
South Africa, at the top of the table, played against third-placed Malawi. The SPAR Proteas had an unbeaten run coming into this game and cemented their place in the final game, winning over the Queens. South Africa led throughout the first quarter after coming from a 4-1 lead by Malawi in the first minutes of the quarter. The first quarter ended with Malawi down by two points (15-13). It was a highly contested game, with each team responding to the opponent’s goal, which was evident at halftime, with South Africa ahead by three points (31-28).
However, in the third quarter, the SPAR Proteas managed to tear away by six points and held onto this lead-up to the last quarter. The game ended 58-55 in favor of South Africa, who proceeded to play against the Vitality Roses of England.
Uganda vs. England
The SheCranes had a huge task at hand, facing the Vitality Roses in a semifinal game. The Vitality Roses had two wins on their shoulders, while the Uganda Cranes had two losses coming into the game. The determined Uganda SheCranes held onto the Vitality Roses and gave them no chance to build a strong lead, and by the last quarter, both teams tied at 42-42. Vitality Roses, led by Halimat Adio from the bench, scored seven straight goals, which knocked the SheCranes off their tempo and prevented them from recovering. The Vitality Roses secured their place in the finals against South Africa, which had won earlier in the day against Malawi. Uganda would proceed to play against the Queens of Malawi in the third-place game.
