Basketball in Africa

Zone 5 results
Ethiopia Investment 27-117 KCC
KCC Leopards 83-80 USIU

MTN-Fuba League results
Biston 56-78 Rhino
Crane High 55-109 KIU
Nabisunsa 60-6 Sparks

Tonight at Lugogo
MBC Rocks v Berkley 5pm
KIU Rangers v Sparks 6:30pm
UCU Canons v Miracle 8pm

Kampala City Council (KCC) Leopards have qualified for the Africa Zone 5 Championships semifinals following two back-to-back victories in their preliminary round games. KCC Leopards humiliated home side Ethiopia Investment 117-27 in their opening game on Tuesday night.

The game was one-sided that coach Mande Juruni had the audacity to field all his bench players. The second game against United States International University (USIU) of Kenya on Wednesday, was however, too draining for Leopards.

It required the acumen of national league three-time top scorer Frances Nabulobi for KCC to see off USIU 83-80. Nabulobi garnered a game high 28 points and Miriam Hamala added 22 for KCC to close in on a place in the finals. “Our aim is to win the trophy and qualify for the Africa Championship. Hopefully the girls will maintain their form,” KCC Leopards official Denis Karugaba said.

But KCC Leopards could be barred from playing the final after the organisers told them that Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (Fuba) owes them $2,600 (about Shs5.2m). “They are insisting we must pay the federation arrears,” Karugaba said. “We communicated to Fiba (international basketball governing body) to allow KCC Leopards play. We told them we would start paying our arrears next year,” Fuba AssistantGeneral Secretary Joseph Manano. Adding; “May be the tournament commissioner is not aware. But again, I sent another reminder today (yesterday).”

UCU on the brink
Uganda Christian University (UCU) Canons will book the remaining play-offs slot if they defeat Miracle Eagles at Lugogo tonight. UCU are in a bruising battle for the slot with Kampala International University (KIU), who thrashed Crane High School 109-55 on Wednesday. KIU have one more game against KCC Lions at the weekend but a win for UCU tonight will make the fixture irrelevant. Miracle have already survived relegation and could spoil UCU Canons’ party.