Wednesday, October 11
UCU Lady Canons 61-52 JT Lady Jaguars
UCU Canons 67-63 Our Saviour
Basketball, (UG): The Uganda Christian University (UCU) basketball teams secured bronze medals each in the National Basketball League third-place playoffs held at Lugogo Arena on Wednesday evening.
In the men’s category, the UCU Canons fought hard and emerged triumphant in the one-off third-place match against Our Saviour to secure the bronze medal while the UCU Lady Canons clinched the third-place position after a convincing victory over the JT Lady Jaguars.
The UCU Canons displayed their resilience and determination as they secured a hard-fought 67-63 victory over Our Saviour.
The Canons were led by Peter Sifuma (in the centre), who put up an impressive performance, scoring a game-high 23 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and making two assists.
Joel Kayiira contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds, while captain Ibanda Lwabaga added 10 points to the team’s total.
Sifuma’s offensive prowess gave Nicholas Natuhereza’s Canons an advantage, as he dominated the paint and ensured his team retained possession.
Right from the start, it was apparent that it would be a competitive and closely contested game, evident from the energy and speed displayed by both teams.
The Canons took a 26-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, by halftime, Our Saviour had taken a slim two-point lead of 38-36.
In the third period, UCU limited their opponents to just 10 points, resulting in a scoreline of 50-48 in their favour. The lead swung back and forth throughout the game, with the score tied at 61-61 with three minutes left to play.
In the end, Nicholas Natuhereza’s team managed to secure a four-point lead, winning the game 67-63 and claiming third place in the league.
This marks the second consecutive year that the UCU Canons have finished in third place after they defeated the KIU Titans to win bronze last year.
In the ladies’ bronze matchup, the UCU Lady Canons emerged victorious against the JT Lady Jaguars. Despite arriving late, the Lady Canons dominated from the start.
They limited their opponents to just two points in the first quarter, which they won comfortably with a score of 21-2.
Although the JT Lady Jaguars showed improvement in the subsequent quarters, led by Maureen Amoding’s game-high 24 points, they were unable to catch up to the Lady Canons.
Aziida Nabayunga led UCU with 18 points, while Millicent Otieno and Shilla Lamunu contributed 10 points each, with Lamunu also securing 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
Looking ahead, the National Basketball League finals are set to begin on Friday at YMCA court in Wandegeya. The KIU Rangers will face the JKL Lady Jaguars, while the City Oilers will take on the KIU Titans.
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