Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Canons have kept their championship hopes alive after stunning defending champions JKL Lady Dolphins 65-50 in Game Four of the Uganda National Basketball League (NBL) semifinals on Friday night at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.
The Mukono-based side showed resilience and tactical brilliance after trailing 20-10 in the first quarter. They regrouped in the second, restricting the Lady Dolphins to just five points and taking a 30-25 halftime lead.
UCU maintained their defensive intensity in the second half, extending their advantage to seven points at the end of the third quarter and sealing the win through a late three-pointer from Hajara Najjuko.
Martrina Anyango led the Lady Canons with a dominant double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds, while Sylvia Nakituuka and Shillah Lamunu added 11 and 10 points, respectively. For the Lady Dolphins, Hope Akello was the only player to hit double digits with 15 points.
The victory leveled the best-of-five semifinal series at 2-2, setting up a decisive Game Five showdown on Sunday, October 12, at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.
JT Lady Jaguars Reach Maiden NBL Finals
Meanwhile, the JT Lady Jaguars booked their first-ever NBL Finals appearance after completing a 3-0 sweep over Magic Stormers with a 59-43 win in Game Three on Thursday night.
Rhoda Naggita and Brenda Kayaga each scored 14 points, while Mercy Batamuliza and Sarah Ageno dominated the boards with 20 and 14 rebounds, respectively. Angela Auma added 11 points to cap off a commanding team performance.
Magic Stormers, who started brightly, were undone by turnovers and the loss of key player Kur Ajah to injury. Auma’s buzzer-beating three-pointer gave Jaguars a narrow 15-14 first-quarter lead before their defense shut down the Stormers in the final period, limiting them to just six points to seal the historic win.
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