Defending champions Warriors have taken the drivers seat leading the series 2-1 against UCU. Fans turned out in their numbers to have a glimpse of what was supposedly going to be a dog fight but Warriors simply outclassed UCU to an overwhelming 32:12 1st quarter win. UCU badly lost all the 4 quarters of the game without any signs of a comeback, they lost, 24:14, 20:9, and 20:12 in the 2nd , 3rd and 4th quarter respectively.
UCU was outclassed in almost all aspects of basketball, transition, shooting, rebounding, blocking. Name it. Steven OKias was in his winning spirit and so was Abdullahi Ramadhan who started the game with the absence of Jude Ocheng in the line up. When Okias got injured in the 1st quarter, he was replaced by Pascal Alule who consistently pulled off killer assists that were translated into dunks Michael Karuiki and Dulla. It’s on the same night that Abdullahi Ramadhan unveiled a new trend of celebrations that have never before been seen in Ugandan basketball. Okias later returned despite the injury and picked up where he’d stopped before the injury.
Eric Malinga was in top form with his jump shot, inside the arc and so was Okwako Martin who remains a defensive wall for the Warriors. Coach Gad Eteu should be a happy man as his team that struggled with chemistry and offense execution is now finding their rhythm. Warriors switching defense completely frustrated the Canons on the night.
Honestly, there was little to talk about this UCU outfit apart from the fact that they put up their worst performance in what has been a fabulous regular season for the Canons. UCU can still have their redemption given the fact that there are 2 more games to play in this best of 5 series. UCU played without their talisman Robert Mugabe who is an inspiration to this team.
Power come back in action against rivals Falcon on Friday 12th November 2010 in game four. Power is leading the series 2-1. Power will want to end it right there while Falcon who came close in game 3 will be looking for game 5.
In a related report, KCC Leopards stole game 3 from A1 Challenge, 64:62. A1 lost concentration in the last three minutes of the 4th quarter blowing away their 10 point lead. The series now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Leopards.
By Cucu Brian.