Falcons grab game one from Warriors

Nov 12, 2008

“Let’s wait for the next game and see.” Those were Henry Malinga’s sober words after top-scoring with 21 points to help the Mogas Falcons defeat the Kyambogo Warriors 74-65 and win Game One of their best of Three Playoffs Semifinal series Tuesday night at Lugogo.

By Charles Mutebi

“Let’s wait for the next game and see.” Those were Henry Malinga’s sober words after top-scoring with 21 points to help the Mogas Falcons defeat the Kyambogo Warriors 74-65 and win Game One of their best of Three Playoffs Semifinal series Tuesday night at Lugogo.

Game two is on today and the defending champions can return to the finals with victory over a Warriors side that run out of ideas down the stretch after winning the three quarters of their hotly contested match on Tuesday.

The Falcons outscored the Warriors 24-14 in the final quarter and left few spectators with any doubts about their ability to close out the series with two straight victories but Malinga insists the battle is not yet won.

“Warriors are a very good team and we have to comeback strong because they are now the wounded Lion.”

Nevertheless, if Steven Okias fails to recover from the ankle injury that forced him out of the contest with 8:24 to play in the fourth quarter, Warriors will need a miracle to level the series.

It is something the coach who led Warriors to their maiden finals last year grudgingly acknowledges. “The boys have what it takes to win this series although there would be a major worry if Okias fails to recover from his injury,” Ambrose Tashobya said last evening.

Okias’ value, which produced five points less than Kyambogo’s top-scorer Ronnie Kasewu with 16, cannot be overstated even though Tashobya would not concede that his absence would guarantee a straight loss today.

He said Warriors can go on to win the series without him but missing the team’s best rebounder and top-scorer would be too much to take especially since he has no decent replacement on the bench.

That is not to say Falcons need Okias’ absence to defeat the Warriors as they proved in last year’s finals. But it would make eliminate them a lot easier than earlier thought.

KCC Leopards, who lost 67-54 in the women’s semi-final to A1 Challenge are also staring elimination in the face, so are men’s division 2 Vegetarian, who lost 92-88 in overtime to the Ndejje Angels.

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MTN-FUBA Playoffs
Game 1
Semifinals
Falcons 74 Warriors 65
Game 2, today
Division Two
Ndejje 92 Vegetarian 88
Division Three
Livingstone 83 Sharing 66

Women
A1
67 Leopards 54
Game 2, today

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