Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo & Sande Bashaija
Wandegeya
Results - Wednesday
Ndejje 53-89 Falcons
MBC Rocks 73-71 Stone
Women
KCC 149-17 Amazon
Good starts are not that important in basketball but slow starts could prove costly as Ndejje University Angels can testify. On paper, Falcons are by far the better team but Ndejje have scaled heights that an upset was on the cards at YMCA court Wandegeya on Wednesday night.
However, the paltry crowd fell silent before ‘the real duel’ got started as Falcons pounded Ndejje into submission taking the first quarter 28-6.
Henry Malinga’s artistry in the paint rattled the Ndejje defence as he scored 11 points including a flurry of dunks within the opening six minutes before limping off with a knee injury. “It really hurts now, I will do scan to ascertain the extent of the damage but it does not look good at all,” Malinga who had his left knee strapped told Daily Monitor said after the game.
Malinga was not missed at all as Falcons star guard Steven Omony took over to contribute a game high 21 points before the latter was rested for the final 13 minutes but coach Walker Obedi youthful Ndejje side were already dead and buried.
Obedi’s antics on the bench only propelled Falcons into fifth gear. The duo of Edwin Kateregga and Geoffrey Soro, on as replacements for Malinga and Omony respectively, sunk 11 points each. Carlos Ocici (10) and Eric Malinga (11) ensured that six Falcons players reached double figures as opposed to Ndejje’s Crispin Biko who was a ‘candle in the wind’ with 17. “We were simply poor but we must respond with a big result against UCU (Canons) on Saturday,” Obedi said.
In the women’s league, KCC Leopards took Amazon Rhino to basketball school with a 149-17 thumping. Mariam Hamala and Sarah Namiiro had 29 and 26 points respectively. MBC Rocks beat Livinstone 73-71.