UCU Lady Canons: 58–43 KIU Rangers.
(UCU wins a 3-1 series.)
By Michael Ainomugisha
The UCU Lady Canons secured their place in the National Basketball League (NBL) finals after a decisive 58-43 victory over the KIU Rangers in Game Four of their semifinal series on Thursday at Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
This win clinched a 3-1 series triumph for the Lady Canons, just a day after their male counterparts, the UCU Canons, were eliminated from the semifinals by the City Oilers.
Tracy Namugosa led the Lady Canons with 11 points, while Hajara Najjuko and Aziidah Nabayunga each added nine points. The game began with a competitive first quarter, with UCU edging out KIU 17-14. However, UCU’s defence tightened in the second quarter, holding the Rangers to just five points while adding 11 to their own score, resulting in a 28-19 halftime lead.
In the second half, UCU maintained control, outscoring KIU 14-8 in the third quarter. The final quarter saw both teams score 16 points each, but the Lady Canons’ earlier efforts ensured their victory.
Coach Nicholas Natuhereza expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, emphasising the importance of consistency and execution.
“I think we had a decent start, and we wanted to keep consistent with what we were doing, which was a problem in the last game. The key today was to execute and make sure we made good plays and good decisions,” said Natuhereza.
The Lady Canons now await the winner of the other semifinal series between the JKL Lady Dolphins and the JT Lady Jaguars, which is 2-1 in favour of the Dolphins.
Meanwhile, the UCU Canons were knocked out of the NBL semifinals by the City Oilers, who secured a 78-63 win in Game Three on Wednesday. This victory completed a 3-0 sweep for the Oilers.
Despite a strong performance from Peter Sifuma, who scored 25 points, and a 10-point contribution from Jerry Kayanga, the Canons were unable to overcome the Oilers’ dominance.
The Canons will now look ahead to the third place playoff as they wait for the winner against KIU and Namuwongo, while the City Oilers await the winner of the semifinal series between the Namuwongo Blazers and the KIU Titans, who are currently tied 2-2.
