City Oilers face must win clash against KIU Titans

National Basketball League 
Wednesday 9th

Lugogo 
City oilers v KIU Titans 9pm

YMCA Wandegeya 
Livingstone v Sommet  9pm

Defending champions City Oilers face a critical showdown against the KIU Titans on Wednesday, July 9 at Lugogo, as they battle to stay in contention for the National Basketball League (NBL) playoffs.

With the regular season nearing its end, every game counts. The Oilers currently sit 8th with 27 points from 17 games, trailing JT Jaguars and JKL Dolphins (28 points each). A win over the Titans would be a major boost in their tightly contested playoff chase.

Just behind the Oilers are Rezlife Saints and Victoria Crocs, both with 26 points, making the margin for error razor-thin. One slip-up could see the Oilers fall out of the playoff picture, turning Wednesday’s game into a must-win.

The Oilers come into the match riding high after a dominant 77–30 victory over Kampala Rockets on Sunday at YMCA. Joseph Chuma led the charge with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Edgar Munaba (14 points), Bolton Rujumba (12), and Moses Maker also hit double figures.

Their recent resurgence has been fueled by key mid-season additions. Canadian guard Chad Bowie and Central African forward Kurt-Curry Axel Wegscheider—both signed from Rwanda’s Kepler Basketball Club, have injected new life into the squad. The return of Mer Maker Moses has further solidified the lineup.

Since those reinforcements, the Oilers have won four of their last five games—defeating Kampala Panthers, Rezlife Saints, UCU Canons, and Rockets, with their only loss coming to high-flying Sommet.

But the road ahead is tough. After the Titans, the Oilers face JT Jaguars on July 11—a team that beat them 74–64 earlier this season—then Victoria Crocs on July 16, and Namuwongo Blazers on July 18, who edged them 81–80 in a nail-biting first-round encounter.

Meanwhile, Sommet—5th with 31 points from 19 games—will face struggling Livingstone on the same day. Sommet, winners of their last five games, are pushing for a top-four spot behind Kampala Rockets (4th, 31 points) and KCCA Panthers (3rd, 33 points).