A1 Challenge vs. Javon – 6:00pm
UCU Canons vs. Warriors – 8:00pm
UCU Canons have never lost a series without playing a decisive game.
That is the history the university side will hope to rely on when they confront Warriors in the first round of the National Basketball League playoffs that tip off Friday evening at YMCA, Wandegeya.
The stage is set for the final bend of the basketball season and while Warriors have a roaster that should give them the edge against the youthful Canons, assistant coach Ronnie Mutebi reserves lots of respect for his side’s opponents.
“UCU is not easy. They are young, energetic and very hard to crack. They do not give up till the final whistle,” Mutebi revealed to Kawowo Sports ahead of the playoffs opener.
The tie is expected to be the most competitive of the first round encounters and can go either way at the end of all the three games.
Warriors dominated the Canons in the first round of the regular season but the Mukono outfit outclassed them in the second round to ensure each side took a game in the build up to the playoffs.
It is UCU’s zone defence that has made it hard for teams to crack them down all season and Warriors will be aware of that.
“It is a very decent team with a lot of enthusiasm and ofcourse they are the best zone defense team for the past 5 seasons,” Mutebi told this website.
For UCU, it is a matter of doing what they have been doing against big teams, Warriors inclusive, in the regular season.
“Warriors is a good team but we beat them in the regular season so we are not afraid of them,” team captain Jonathan Egau said after the team’s loss to City Oilers last Friday.
With Philip Ameny, Ahmed Temitope, Sam Gombya and Joshua Etalu, Warriors will try to clean up the boards against a UCU side that looks vulnerable inside the paint.