National Basketball League

Today, YMCA

Women: Magic v Stormers

Men: KCCA v Namuwongo

From perennial lower midtable fodder to back-to-back playoff qualifications in the last two seasons, the KCCA Panthers have made linear if slow progress since their return to the National Basketball League (NBL) seven years ago. 

This season, though, the pace has picked up impressively, with first-year coach Raymond Muhumuza leading the Panthers to nine victories in 14 games. 

“I am happy with the results but our performances are not where I want them to be,” Muhumuza told New Vision Sports ahead of KCCA’s appetising clash with the Namuwongo Blazers today at the YMCA. 

KCCA defeated D’Mark Power 78-77 on Sunday to bounce back from their unexpected 82-80 overtime loss to relegation threatened Kampala Rockets, which ended a three-game winning streak. 

“That loss was unlucky,” said Muhumuza. “Ceasar (Kizito) picked up a thy injury during the game, while our point guard (Gaius Muhamba) was involved in an accident and did not play the game”. 

Kizito was restricted to 27 minutes and is out for two more weeks. Muhumuza maintains the latest setbacks will not alter KCCA’s charge towards the lofty ambition of reaching the NBL playoff semifinals for the first time in history. 

A victory today will only strengthen KCCA’s conviction, “We want to beat all the teams we lost to in the first round,” said Muhumuza, “so we are looking forward to playing Namuwongo.”

The Blazers beat KCCA 84-64 in the first round and are looking to extend their winning streak to five games.