Basketball in Africa

By Richard Bishumba
Basketball league defending champions, Espoir BC are keen on registering crucial wins over table leaders UGB and in-form APR this evening and Saturday respectively-both games will be played at Amahoro indoor stadium.
The three-time reigning champions Espoir face United Generation Basketball (UGB) today at 6pm and return to action on Saturday against their biggest rivals and former champions APR at 4pm before entertaining struggling UR- College of Education on Sunday at the same venue at 1pm.
Espoir coach Jean Bahufite told Times Sport yesterday that all players are fit and have had good preparations as they seek to win all their scheduled three games this weekend.
He said, "We are ready, and injury-wise, we don't have anything to worry about, we have had intensive preparations since Monday which I believe can enable us to win all the three games."
"UGB and APR are both in-form, which means that we will have to be at our best to beat them, we need to be careful in these two games but I strongly believe we will prevail," Bahufite acknowledged.
Table leaders UGB will also play against UR- College of Arts and Social Sciences on Saturday at 11am at KIST courts. UR-CASS face last year's first runners-up Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) this evening at 6pm at the latter's home court in Rugunga.
UGB top the league log with 12 points from seven matches, APR who have played one game less, are second with a point adrift while newcomers IPRC- South stand third with 10 points.
Holders Espoir are on eighth position in the 12-team table with 7 points from four matches.
Today
Espoir vs UGB 6pm
CSK vs UR-CASS
Saturday
30-Plus vs UR-CoE 10am
UGB vs UR-CASS 11am
CSK vs IPRC-Kigali 12pm
Patriots vs Rusizi 2pm
APR vs Espoir 4pm
Sunday
IPRC-Kigali vs Rusizi 9am
30-Plus vs CSK 11am
Espoir vs UR-CoE 1pm