2026 World Cup Pre-Qualifiers: Bella Murekatete leads Rwanda past Lebanon

Rwanda cruised past Lebanon in their opening game at the 2026 World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Kigali. Bella Murekatete (190-C-2000, college: WSU) scored 24 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to pace the home side.
Rwanda sank 24 points in the first period to take a 7-point lead. They maintained it throughout the second stanza. Rwanda entered the second half up by 9 points 45-36. Rwanda held their opponents to just 26 points in the second part of the game and eased to a comfortable win. Keisha Hampton (185-F-1990, college: DePaul) delivered 21 points for Rwanda. Amar Mansour (178-PG-2004) replied with 18 points, while Rebecca Akl (170-PG-1992) had 16 points in the loss.