National Basketball League

Results

Women: JKL 69 KCCA 47

Men: Oilers 81 Power 67

Today @ ABJA Park

Women

KU v YMCA

A1 v Miracle

KIU v Stormers

Men

Rockets v KIU

Namuwongo v Ndejje

The City Oilers are back home.

And back to dominating the National Basketball League (NBL).

Tony Drileba scored 15 points and four team-mates reached double figures as the Oilers put the disappointment of Basketball Africa League (BAL) elimination aside with a routine 81-67 victory over D’Mark Power yesterday at Lugogo.

The Oilers won every quarter, although none by more than five points, against opponents led by a player who has spent a quarter a century in the top flight. Isaac Afidra made his debut for Power in 1999, and here he was dropping a game-high 19 points against rivals in some cases young enough to be his sons.

The 41-year old has a personal story unlike any in the NBL, but when it comes to team glory, the Oilers are the side with no equal.

Chasing a record-extending 10th championship, the Oilers remain overwhelming favourites for the NBL title, which they must win to get another crack at the BAL, where (as part of the Nile Conference) they recently finished bottom with a 1-5 record.

Afidra is the sort of talent who, in his prime, would have made a contribution to the Oilers' BAL bid, and whose age-defying heroics are an example of longevity to the current generation.

Fayed Bbaale, among the new crop of NBL stars, finished with 14 points for the Oilers, while James Okello, Mer Maker and Rogers Dauna scored 12 points each.

Phillip Ameny, another Power veteran, scored 12, with Taariq Powell adding 11. 

The victory helped the Oilers improve to 11-1, with Power falling to 4-11.