By Charles Mutebi
MTN-FUBA League
Men division 1
Power 124 Ndejje 62
Women
Rangers 120 Rhino 31
Canons 102 Bucks 29
MTN-FUBA reigning men’s champions D-Mark Power are determined to defend their title in style and as the Ndejje University Angels can now attest: it is going to leave a few embarrassed victims along the way.
“We have two priorities this season,” said Power technical director Peter Mubanda. “One is to defend our championship and the other is to do it in style.”
The Angels, like the Nkumba Marines two weeks ago, know exactly what that means.
Power beat the Angels in their weekend match-up at Lugogo with the winning margin equal to the entirety of Ndejje’s points.
Power won 124-62 with a scoring-fest led by Isaac Afidra (28), Allan Tawoda (26), and Norman Blick (14). Blick has sacrificed his scoring to shoulder the team’s playmaking role.
“We doubled them, come on; how embarrassing can it get,” said a gleeful Mubanda. Saturday’s result follows their 110-65 win over the Marines and further underlines the champions’ capability.
The two-time champions have won all three of their matches and Mubanda believes his side can go through the regular season unbeaten.
# UCU Lady Canon’s coach Robert Mugabe has challenged basketball officials to ensure referees improve their match performances, adds Johnson Were.
The coach attributed his team’s 55-51 loss to A1 Challenge over the weekend to poor officiation by the referees Edmond Lumu and Justus Mugisha who denied him two time-out calls to re-organise his side when he was leading by two points. He said that referees make unnecessary calls and at times miss crucial calls, which cost teams.
“Players standards have improved but the referees are not improving, a scenario that hinders the development of the sport,” Mugabe charged, adding that FUBA must forge a way forward to improve on the referees’ standards.
A1 Challenge coach Andrew Bazira was in agreement saying the referees need to improve considering the investments clubs are putting in.