Basketball: Lumanyika guides Uganda past Kenyans

 

Egypt 70 Kenya 52 

Men: Kenya 71 Uganda 83 

Egypt 91 Somalia 69 

 

Ivan Lumanyika was one of the least popular selections for the Uganda Silverbacks coming into the FIBA Afrobasket Zone V Qualifier. You could hardly find anyone who thought the reserved centre would be one of Uganda’s key players. 

 

And he knew it. But on Saturday at Lugogo, Lumanyika snatched a team-high 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds as Uganda defeated Kenya in a Zone V clash for the first time in nine years, 83-71. 

 

And he played only 18 minutes. 

 

“When I was selected I did not expect to be a starter,” said the leftie, who also shone in Uganda’s opening victory against Somalia. 

 

“I knew I would have to play well to impress and get playing time,” added a smiling Lumanyika. 

 

Dominance broken Kenya have dominated Uganda for years but the Silverbacks played with a style and verve that suggested a changing of the basketball guard. 

 

Uganda outscored Kenya 18-14 from two point field goals, 10-8 from downtown and led them 58-36 on the glass. Josh Johnson, Henry Malinga, Norman Blick, and John Baligwaire contributed 14, 13, 11 and 10 points respectively for Uganda, who led from wire-to-wire. 

 

Johnson went 4-7 from long range in his best Zone V performance yet. 

 

“I was disappointed with my previous performances so I came into this game knowing I had to take more shots,” Johnson said. 

 

Kenya was led by Valentine Nyakunda and Phillip Ameny with 17 and 16 points respectively. Uganda’s final games, determining whether the Gazelles and Silverbacks qualify for the Afrobasket Championship, were due on Sunday evening.