Weekend Fixtures
Friday, Lugogo Arena
Women’s Semifinal, Game Four
KCCA Leopards vs UCU Lady Canons, 7pm
Men’s Finals, Game Four
City Oilers vs Namuwongo Blazers, 7pm
Sunday, Lugogo Arena
Men’s Third-Place Playoff
UCU Canons vs Rezlife Saints, 2pm
Women’s Semifinal, Game Five, if necessary
UCU Lady Canons vs KCCA Leopards, 4pm
Men’s Finals, Game Five
Namuwongo Blazers vs City Oilers, 6pm
Kampala, Uganda: KCCA Leopards and Namuwongo Blazers face crucial tests when the National Basketball League playoffs resume at Lugogo Arena on Friday, with both teams needing victories to keep their respective campaigns alive.
The Leopards will take on UCU Lady Canons at 7pm in Game Four of their best-of-five women’s semifinal series, with UCU holding a 2-1 advantage.
UCU Lady Canons won the opening two games, 79-71 and 63-56, before KCCA Leopards responded with an emphatic 70-55 victory in Game Three to keep the series alive.
The Leopards’ revival was built on a strong defensive display that restricted UCU to just 23 percent shooting from the field. KCCA also capitalised on 20 turnovers committed by the Lady Canons.
Heading into Friday’s contest, the Leopards will again look to Ninette Uwineza, Sharua Nakirya and Tracy Namugosa to provide the points needed to level the series and force a decisive Game Five.
UCU, however, remain one win away from reaching the final and will rely on Matrina Anyango and Sylvia Nantongo, who have been among their most consistent performers throughout the series.
Anyango recorded an impressive 28 points and 16 rebounds in Game Two, while Nantongo scored 20 points in the opening game and added 14 points in Game Three.
The Lady Canons have also been boosted by the return of Sarah Namale, Zoe Atek and Mariam Namukwaya from the 3×3 basketball competition in Tunisia.
Victory for UCU on Friday would send them into the final, while a KCCA win would level the series at 2-2 and force a decisive Game Five on Sunday.
Attention will then shift to the men’s finals, where City Oilers face Namuwongo Blazers in Game Four of their best-of-seven series.
The Oilers hold a 2-1 lead and will be seeking another victory to move within one win of the NBL title. The Blazers, meanwhile, need to respond and level the series to ensure the championship race remains wide open.
Sunday’s programme at Lugogo will begin with the men’s third-place playoff between UCU Canons and Rezlife Saints at 2pm.
Should KCCA Leopards win on Friday, they will return to action against UCU Lady Canons in the decisive Game Five at 4pm on Sunday.
The weekend’s action will conclude with Game Five of the men’s finals between Namuwongo Blazers and City Oilers at 6pm.
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