12 December 2011
UGANDA : Power closes in on basketball crown
Game 6-YMCA court Warriors vs Power- December 14th, Wednesday, 6pm
Game 5 Results: Division 1
Power 77 Warriors 70
(Power leads series 3-2)
Division 2
Rez Life 56 Vegetarians 55
(Series tied at 2-2)
THE FACTS: D’MARK Power is one win away from successfully defending their championship title following Sunday's 77-70 defeat of the Kyambogo Warriors in Game 5 of the MTN Basketball Finals.
Richard Balemwa tugged on the edges of his jersey and took a good, long look at the rim before draining a dagger-installing 3-pointer with 9 seconds left on the clock, icing the game for Power and choking whatever life was left in the Warriors surge.
Game 5 Results: Division 1
Power 77 Warriors 70
(Power leads series 3-2)
Division 2
Rez Life 56 Vegetarians 55
(Series tied at 2-2)
THE FACTS: D’MARK Power is one win away from successfully defending their championship title following Sunday's 77-70 defeat of the Kyambogo Warriors in Game 5 of the MTN Basketball Finals.
Richard Balemwa tugged on the edges of his jersey and took a good, long look at the rim before draining a dagger-installing 3-pointer with 9 seconds left on the clock, icing the game for Power and choking whatever life was left in the Warriors surge.
Balemwa's shot was the fitting end to a roller coaster ride that included two dramatic shifts in the final six minutes of a game, and really thrilling series that has seen dozens of emotional shifts for both sides over the past 10 days.
Balemwa went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc on Sunday for Power just 24-hours after the team had claimed a narrow 78-77 victory over the Warriors on Saturday. Teammates Michael Kojo had 19 points, Joseph Ikong scored eight of his 21 points during a game-ending 7-1 run that gave the defending champions, Power a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Balemwa went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc on Sunday for Power just 24-hours after the team had claimed a narrow 78-77 victory over the Warriors on Saturday. Teammates Michael Kojo had 19 points, Joseph Ikong scored eight of his 21 points during a game-ending 7-1 run that gave the defending champions, Power a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
After toasting Power's vaunted defense and toasting the fans in the first three quarters of the game, Warriors’ star player Ivan Enabu fell short where it mattered the most.
The MVP title contender Enabu was magnificent early on, dictating the tempo and attacking the heart of Power’s defensive set-up with repeated forays into their 3-2 play. But disheartening for Enabu and his teammates was when the guard missed 3-consecutive free-throws inclusive of a game tying one that could have shifted the game tide either way.
QUOTABLE: "We're going to play whistle to whistle. I heard that term. Been watching the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball games. A lot of people in the NCAA College ball world use that term, and that's what we're going to do. We're going to try to win each possession and just take it one at a time.” Power coach Bernes Ankunda.
Game 6 of The Finals to be played on Wednesday will offer much more pressure than anything the Warriors have seen to this point. But counting them out at this point would be as foolish as anything Power could do to this point.
Warriors will have to work double hard on the court when they play game 6 so as to erase the nasty memories from their collapse last year against Power at this very stage. Power in the meantime, head for game 6 with a 3-2 lead and a chance to retain their title in the 2011 basketball Finals.