Results (Friday)
UCU 77-82 Warriors
Women
A1 49-47 KCC
(Warriors, A1 win series 3-2)
Sometimes teams fail to get the whole package since players rarely function like machines. On such occasions, an individual is supposed to take the bull by the horn as Kyambogo Warriors can manifest to this following their 82-77 win over UCU Canons in the MTN-Fuba League semifinals on Friday night.
Abdullahi Ramadhan’s magic gave the champions a 3-2 series victory to book a final date with DMark Power in what should be a thrilling best-of-seven series repeat from last year. Game one of the finals is on Friday.
It was so easy to miss the fact that the Tanzanian guard fouled out.
Dulah as he is fondly known, scored 23 points and 12 rebounds to ensure that UCU’s dream of reaching a maiden final must wait for at least another season. “I always play well,” Dulah responded when Daily Monitor asked him whether he played arguably his best game in the post-season so far. “This was a big challenge and we needed all our experience,” he added.
UCU Canons had run Warriors rugged to take the first two periods 17-21 and 26-13 respectively with the capacity crowd screaming their voices hoarse. The university side had Robert Mugabe (17), Jimmy Enabu (15) and Adams Njoroge (13) fully in charge in the first half.
Malinga influence
Trailing by nine points at the breather, Warriors left the MTN Arena Lugogo, to have their halftime team talk in the open. Maybe they needed some fresh air.
It was up to Dulah to slow the game down when coach Gad Eteu’s side re-emerged to blow away UCU 21-7 in the third quarter.
The Malinga brothers, Eric and Henry, brutally exposed UCU in the paint to nail 18 and 12 points respectively.
The latter eventually joined Dulah in the dugout but his influence was clearly felt by everyone inside the arena.
UCU never gave up the fight to level the final period 27-27 but the clock wasn’t in their favour. It just wasn’t their night once again. Ronnie Kasewu towed a tight rope with four fouls as early as the second period to finish with 10 points and eight rebounds.
His schoolboy turnovers in the third quarter aside, Martin Okwako put up a spirited show for Warriors while Stephen Okias delivered to acceptable standards.
“It’s been a good but not great season. At the start, we wanted to make the play-offs and we did and next time, preparation must take us a step further,” a relatively disillusioned Nick Natuhereza, the UCU coach, said.
In the women’s category, A1 Challenge eliminated KCC.