National Basketball League Sunday results
UPDF 85-75 Betway Power
KIU Titans 95-51 Startimes Falcons
Ndejje 68- 64 Our Saviour
WOMEN
Stormers 38-82 UCU Lady Canons
KCCA Leopards 78-53 Nkumba Ladies
Betway Power coach Arnold “Mchuda” Lando blamed complacency on his team’s part after the five-time champions suffered their second defeat of the current National Basketball League season to UPDF Tomahawks at YMCA Court on Friday.
Power lost 85-75 in a result that saw them drop to a 6-2 record. “We took the game for granted and the performance raises questions,” Mchuda stated after the game. His team has often displayed some good basketball this season; Sunday though was not one of them as Power surrendered 24-20 and 40-34 leads after the opening two quarters. Our body language was bad and the players looked fatigued. We cannot allow the issue to happen again,” warned Mchuda.
Led by Moses Muhumuza and Henry Okoth, the army side fought back with the pair contributing 24 and 27 points respectively to take a 62-53 lead going into the final period. Joseph Ikong and Michael Makiadi led Power with 24 and 19 points. Their four and five respective turnovers however meant they were unable to mount a serious challenge as UPDF run out victors to improve to 3-7. Power who next plays Nkumba Marines meanwhile slumped to 6-2.
Oilers trump Warriors
On Friday, City Oilers showed they remain the team to beat in the National Basketball League with another dominant victory over a team regarded as direct rivals for their crown over the weekend. The Oilers defeated Pemba Warriors 72-62 to improve to a 5-3 record while inflicting a first defeat on the Pemba Warriors. They had also ended KIU Titans 5-0 start to the season with a 73-64 victory.
“It’s a big morale booster one of those wins that really says that we are still the to beat,” City Oilers’ Stephen Omony said in the immediate aftermath of the game played at the Lugogo MTN Arena. The veteran star forward had yet to make an impact since moving to the four-time defending champions from Falcons.
But following a slow start, Omony and his compatriots stepped up overturning a 15-8 first quarter deficit to lead 29-28 at the half way point. I’m glad I stepped up, played my heart out. Right now we’re starting to click and are around 60% and I believe we can still get better,” Omony stated after the game in which all of his 13 points came in the second half.
Landry Ndikumana, previously criticized by coach Mandy Juruni also stepped up with a game high 17 point and 13 rebounds as the Oilers restricted the hitherto on-fire Amisi Saidi and Mike Buzangu to eight and 11 points respectively.
The former had also got himself into early foul trouble as Jimmy Enabi chipped in with 14 points for the Oilers too while Syrus Kiviiri and youngster Stanley Mugerwa contributed 15 and 11 points respectively. “We got carried away people tried to do things that are not necessary and trying to be the saviours of the team. It’s a learning curve and it’s just the one game we know what to do going forward,” Warriors coach Brian Mutebi