Men
APR 72-62 KBC
Women
APR 89-81UNR
Juniors
Select side 37-29 FAWE
EVEN without a host of their star players, APR had enough steel to win the inaugural basketball memorial tournament on Sunday.
Playing infront of a fairly packed Amahoro Indoor courts, the lions roared to their third title of the season after trouncing debutants Kigali Basketball Club (KBC) 72-62.
Point Guard Blaise Nikobahoze led APR‘s surge in the absence of power forward Bienvenue Ngandu, shooting forward Karim Nkusi and all-rounder Mike Buzangu who recently joined Ugandan side Falcon and center Kami Kabange who has relocated to South Africa.
“On Sunday, we proved to everyone that we are a focused side and still have the hunger to win titles. Of course we lost great players but we have to move on,” APR’s coach Cliff Owuor noted.
APR pocked Rwf50.000 for their heroics. En route the final, KBC had seen off National University of Rwanda (UNR) 95-47 in the preliminaries and Espoir 74-64 at the semis.
The army side also swept the women top prize after outscoring UNR 89-81.
The tournament sponsored by the local basketball federation (Ferwaba) was held to commemorate victims of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis.