20 September 2013

UGANDA : Warriors look to disarm UCU

 Kiviri (with ball) tries to find the hoop through a forest of Warriors’ hands
Kiviri (with ball) tries to find the hoop through a forest of Warriors’ hands during this years’s first round clash between the two sides at the MTN Arena in Lugogo. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA 
By ISMAIL DHAKABA KIGONGOKAMPALA- One game after the other, the fight for the number one seed in the Airtel National Basketball League has fizzled out to include only two teams.

UCU Canons and DMark Power are slugging out it out to finish top at the end of the regular season. Perhaps, nothing will be decided until the two clash on October 11.

For that two happen, both must continue to take care of their business in order to keep the fight in their hands until that day.
UCU have done a good job, winning 15 of their 17 games thus far and can make it 16 victories if they beat champions Riham Warriors tonight at the Lugogo MTN Arena.

This is the game that UCU cannot take lightly as they have lost to Warriors in three of their four semifinal appearances. In fact, the margins are always razor thin. Thus far, UCU have looked the more settled and consistent outfit while Warriors continue to oscillate between brilliant and mediocrity.
One day, the champions routed Power 91-65 then lost to Nkumba Marines 56-54 even if that partly had a lot to do with the injury to talisman Ronnie Kasewu.

The bigger problem is that they haven’t played well in the second round like they did towards the end of the first, losing three for their record to plummet from 9-2 to 13-5.

Coach Nicholas Natuhereza’s side were one of only two teams, the other being City Oilers, to beat Warriors in the first round, the final score ending 63-58. “Of course, it’s good to beat the champions if we can. It helps with our confidence,” Cyrus Kiviri, a Warrior last season, said.Back then Warriors didn’t seem ready to play as Sudi Ulanga top scored with 20 points for UCU and anything short of a gallant effort could leave the champions on to a top four slot.                
Elsewhere, Ndejje University Angels continued to enhance their role as kingmakers with an 82-73 win over record champions Falcons on Wednesday night at YMCA court.
Ndejje, now 12-5, are level with Oilers above them in fourth, have already beaten Warriors and UCU. They still have to play the latter, Oilers and Power. Their latest result almost condemns Falcons to seventh which implies a quarterfinal match up with either UCU or Power.

TODAY IN LUGOGO
M: UCU vs. Warriors (8.30pm)
W: KIU vs. KCCA (6.30pm)
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
MEN: Falcons 73-82 Ndejje
WOMEN: Mak Sparks 32-70 UCU

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