Basketball in Africa

Final (boys)
Old K’la 54-48 Lubiri
Girls
Buddo 64-25 Old K’la
Semis (boys)
Kalinabiri 45-52 Lubiri
Ssaku 40-55 Old K’la
Girls
Maryhill 47-48 Old K’la
Buddo 57-18 Rock High


Old Kampala Secondary lifted the Sprite Schools Boys’ title following a 54-48 victory over battle-hardened Lubiri High here yesterday. The two teams treated spectators to an exciting game but it was Old Kampala’s class act that highlighted the end of the four-day tournament.

Led by eventual tournament MVP Abel Thon (14 points) and Denis Omodo (21), Old Kampala, who eliminated 2009 winners Ssaku in the semifinals, romped to a 16-7 early lead but Lubiri resisted going down with ease to end first quarter trailing by only one point (15-16).

Boniface Olet (21) and Chrispus Kilemba (8) led Lubiri’s charge, thrusting their team into the lead (21-20) early in the second quarter but it only lasted for a while as Old Kampala went into recess on top 29-22.

Two minutes to the end of third quarter, the scores were tied at 36 and the coast-to-coast action helped the fans quickly forget the one-sided girls’ final encounter between Buddo Secondary and Old Kampala, which ended 64-25 in favour of the former.

With the clock ticking away, towering Thon and Omodo forced Lubiri into error.
Buddo’s Stella Oyella, a 37-point hero in the final, walked away with the top scorer and MVP awards in the women’s category. Lubiri’s Chrispus Kilemba was the boys’ top scorer.