Isaac Afidra stuns UCU Canons

By Charles Mutebi

Airtel National Basketball League

Women

UCU 79 Stormers 41

Men

Power 82 UCU 75

Women

KIU v Nabisunsa

Gladiators v A1

Men

Nkumba v KIU

Victoria v Falcons

ONE of the main reasons why D’Mark Power are so dangerous is the multiple number of match-winners in their line-up. Like an octopus, Power have so many arms to fight with. 

Just ask the UCU Canons, who fell victim to an Isaac Afidra master-class that no one saw coming. 

Afidra aka Magalo snatched a season-high 29 points and 18 rebounds as Power won the battle of the two undefeated sides in the men’s Airtel National Basketball League 82-75 Friday at Lugogo.

Norman Blick sunk 14 for Power while the ridiculously gifted Emma Enabu covered up for Ben Komakech’s continued struggles against UCU with 13 delicious points. 

Komakech scored three points but thanks to Power’s other All-Stars and particularly Afidra, it didn’t really matter. 

Afidra is obviously a natural scorer and he built his name through years of abusing defenders but this was the kind of performance that the skilful forward rarely produces nowadays. 

Sorry UCU, Magalo has still got it! 

Afidra led Power’s second-half charge, which brought them 54 points, including 32 in the fourth quarter. When Power hit the gears, no team can stop them. 

“We just begun playing Power basketball in the second-half,” explained Afidra post-match. “We begun sharing the ball and playing for each other.”

Still, the Canons trailed by just four points (67-62) with 4:13 to play in the fourth quarter thanks to Cyrus Kiviri and Desmond Owili, who ended with 21 and 18 points respectively. 

But as they have done in many big moments before, UCU took their focus off the battle and put it on contesting referees calls, throwing cheap shots and giving away technical fouls. 

In their biggest test of the season, the Canons showed their Achilles Heel and reminded sceptics why they may still not ready to win the title. 

As for Power, they showed why they are contenders for the title and they have chance to prove it again this week when they face the Riham Warriors. 

Here comes Power, here comes the octopus.