Mixed fortunes for Uganda at FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League in Benin

FIBA 3x3 Basketball League

Stop 2 Results (Women)

Uganda 4-11 Cote d’Ivoire
Uganda 6-14 Benin

Stop 2 Results (Men)
Uganda 15-11 Kenya
Benin 9-15 Uganda
Uganda 8-21 Algeria

Uganda's U23 3×3 basketball teams are having a rough start at the FIBA Youth Nations League in Benin.

The tournament started on June 3 to June 9, and it’s key for qualifying for the U23 World Cup.

The women’s team, who won last year’s league in Kampala, kicked things off with a solid performance. 

They won their first game against Côte d'Ivoire 14-12 in overtime, thanks to Shillah Lamunu scoring 23 points. They then beat Kenya 17-13 and crushed Burkina Faso 21-4, putting them in a great position in their group.

Unfortunately, Stop 2 didn’t go well for them. On June 4, they struggled, scoring only 4 points against Côte d’Ivoire and then 6 against the host team, Benin.

They made one lineup change by bringing in Sarah Namale for Mary Priscillar Nambogo, but the team just couldn’t find their rhythm. 

Despite this setback, they’re still third overall, sitting at 145 points, and need to bounce back in the next stops to keep their title hopes alive.

For the men’s team, they started off slow, losing to Kenya and Algeria U21 in Stop 1. 

But they turned things around in Stop 2, beating Kenya 15-11 and Benin 15-9 to reach the finals. 

They faced a tough Algerian team in the final but lost 21-8. Now, they’re fifth overall with 125 points and need to win more games to stay in the World Cup race.

Both teams have more games ahead, and the pressure is on. The women need to find their winning ways again, while the men look to build on their recent success. 

Uganda is aiming to secure a spot in the U23 World Cup later this year.