Basketball in Africa

by Sande Bashaija
Wandegeya

Monday night results
KCB 20-00 Newstars
Power 89-53 JKT

Yesterday (women)
A-1 Challenge 45-49 Eagle
Berco Stars 40-61 KIU
KCC Leopards 79-35 UNR
APR 64-39 KPA

Men
Warriors 67-51 JKT
Marines 87-66 ABC
Falcons 69-75 KBC

Today at YMCA
A-1 v KCC Leopards (2pm)
KBC v KPA (4pm)
ABC v Falcons (6pm)
Warriors v Coop (8pm)

At Makerere mainground
UNR v Eagle Wings (10am)
KPA v KIU Rangers (12pm)
Newstars v Marines (2pm)
Power v CSK (4pm)

Who says women’s basketball is boring? If you subscribe to that school of thought, think again. Kampala City Council (KCC) Leopards and Kampala International University (KIU) Rangers, two of Uganda’s representatives in the ongoing Sprite Zone 5 Championship yesterday fired up crowds at YMCA Wandegeya.

Not only did the two sides record comprehensive victories against foreign opposition but the Ugandan sides exhibited free-flowing, entertaining basketball. Mariam Birungi and Annet Nakiwu combined for 25 points as KCC, semifinalists last year, humiliated University of Rwanda (UNR) 79-35 in the first game of their campaign before KIU outplayed Berco Stars (Burundi) 60-41.

Rangers, making their debut appearance in the Africa Club Championships qualifying showpiece, had Susan Amito (19 points) and Judith Nansobya (10) to thank for their dream start.

It was, however, a bad day for A-1 Challenge as they went down to Kenya’s Eagle Wings 45-49 despite a brave second half display.

In the men’s category, Kyambogo Warriors dismissed Tanzania’s JKT 67-51 but Falcons suffered their second straight loss, falling 69-75 to Kenya’s KCB.