By Michael Ainomugisha
On Friday, April 11, in a jawdropping rematch of the 2024 National Basketball League (NBL) Finals, the JKL Lady Dolphins defeated the UCU Lady Canons 82-64, handing them their first loss of the 2025 season.
Both teams entered the game with enthusiasm, but JKL gained command in the second quarter and never looked back.
The game started evenly, with both teams tied 13-13 after the first quarter. However, UCU’s second quarter proved to be its undoing. Despite grabbing 10 offensive rebounds, the Lady Canons only managed 8 second-chance points, allowing JKL to pull away with a 29-17 scoring spree in the quarter.
By halftime, the Dolphins led 42-30, and the momentum had obviously shifted, resulting in an 82-64 victory for the JKL Lady Dolphins.
JKL kept applying pressure in the second half, outscoring UCU 20-17 in both the third and fourth quarters to establish a constant scoring advantage. Despite many attempts to battle back, the Lady Canons stayed on the defensive and were unable to bridge the deficit.
Despite the defeat, there were some positives for UCU. Sylvia Nantongo led UCU with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, including 6 offensive boards, several of which provided second-chance opportunities. Millicent Otieno scored 13 points and three rebounds, and rookie centre Sarah Namale had a good performance with 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
In the final stretch, Coach Nicholas Natuhereza gave valuable court time to a young lineup featuring Zoe Atek, Christine Saima, Sarah Namale, Sylvia Nakituuka, and Martina Anyango, offering fans a glimpse of UCU’s future.
“I feel like we were messy the whole game; we never had any control. Some of our players are distracted by exams and other stuff. Once the game was out of hand, we figured that we would give a chance to the young ladies to get some experience and exposure,” said Coach Natuhereza.
The UCU Lady Canons will look to bounce back as they face Angels Basketball Club on April 16 at Abja Park, Naalya, before taking on Nkumba Lady Marines on April 18 at YMCA Wandegeya
