by Thomas Fink)
Sports Reporter africabasket.com
BCD comes alive tonight as the Bulawayo Basketball League enters its fourth week with two of its biggest teams Kings and Giants fighting for glory. Both clubs have not lost since the start of the season and have a good crop of highly competitive players. Giants who have always been a force in the league and are highly regarded by some of the best teams in the country were off to a blistering pace when the season started.
Their aim? To collect as many points as they could so that they stay at the top of the log in their campaign to wrest the league title from Lords. Giants, Lords and Kings are separated by goal difference as they are all on six points. Giants have 314 points against 73, Lords scored 201 with 104 against them and Kings managing 166 from 115. Before Giants take on Kings, Oilers will face Lords in another match. BBA public relations officer Charles Ndlovu said the teams are promising an exciting game.
The Kings-Giants game is a major draw card. The two teams produce the best in terms of basketball and the game will be nothing short of exciting, he said. Ndlovu said both teams had the players who have made an impact on Bulawayo basketball. Both teams have the players. They have some of the best players in the league and people are assured that they will produce the best, he said. Giants have players such as Namibia based Mpumelelo Hlabangana, Derrick Chiradza, Michael Zvoushe and Muchengeti Hamandishe.
Kings have the likes of Kevin Maengei, Garikai Gumbo and Garth Hussey who have been playing well since the beginning of the season. Ndlovu said the teams would want to collect as many points as possible to secure their position at the top of the log. The teams that lead on the log standings want to collect as many points as they can so that they secure their position. Giants have been winning most of their games by more than 100 points, he said. Oilers and Lords will battle it out in another match with the former seeking their second win in four weeks.
Oilers who are led by Ernie Noble lost two of their games and would want to upset Lords in their title defence. Lords, coached by rugby player Theo Weale will have no mercy on Oilers as they are out to collect points that will take them to the title at the end of the season. Ndlovu said although Lords have been underdogs in the past they have improved their game. Lords have been the underdogs for the past couple of years but at the moment they are title contenders. Oilers have former players who will add experience to the youthful side and they will compete to win, he said.
In another match ALCC play ZB Titans with both teams seeking their first win of the season.
Fixtures
Women: ZB Hawks v Giants, Highlanders v Lakers (Juniors)
Men: Oilers v Lords, ALCC v ZB titans, Kings v Giants