Oilers, KCCA target semifinal spots

By Charles Mutebi

FIBA Africa Zone V Championship

Women

KCCA 55 APR 43

Men

Oilers 93 Espoir 88 (78 all after regulation time)

Power 68 CSK 64

Today

Women: KCCA v Don Bosco

Men: Oilers v Ulinzi

National Basketball League

Today, YMCA

Warriors v Bush Court

Our Saviour v Diamonds

UGANDA basketball champions KCCA Leopards (women) and City Oilers (men) will qualify for the semi-finals of the FIBA Africa Zone V Championship if, as expected, they maintain their unbeaten runs in today’s round of action at the Kigali tournament.

Timothy Odeke’s Leopards, still unsure of being joined by dominant centre Peace Proscovia, are heavy favourites to defeat Tanzania’s Don Bosco while Mandy Juruni’s Oilers should be too much for Kenya’s Ulinzi.

The Leopards opened their account with an impressive 55-43 victory over hosts APR on Monday while the Oilers made it two wins in two with a gutsy 93-88 overtime win over the APR men. TigerHead Power also made it two straight wins with a 68-64 win over Rwanda’s CSK on Monday.

Reigning Zone V MVP Landry Nadikumina grabbed 23 points and 11 rebounds while Jimmy Enabu dropped a team-high 26 for the Oilers. Kami Kabenge and Jeff Oyugi contributed 15 and 11 points respectively for Juruni’s side, who finished third in last year’s edition.

KCCA’s defeat of APR underlined their title credentials, which would be further boosted by having Proscovia on board. However, the top rebounder at the just concluded women’s Afrobasket Championship told the New Vision as late as yesterday that she was still “sorting out some things” before knowing if she will team up with her team-mates.