UCU Canons took another step in their historic comeback attempt with a 78-73 win over City Oilers on Friday night to force a once-unthinkable decisive Game 7 of the National Basketball League Playoff Finals.
The Canons, who trailed the series 3-1, will now head to Sunday’s winner-take-all showdown at Lugogo Indoor Stadium riding a wave of momentum.
UCU used an explosive first quarter in which they led by as many as 14 points to set the tone and never allowed the experienced, usually sharp-shooting and effective Oilers to settle into a rhythm or get any closer than three points until the final minute of the game.
Oilers rallied back early in the second quarter and came within three points (19-22) on Tonny Drileba’s lay-up midway the frame but the Canons built a 15-point lead in the third that looked like it might spell the end for the Oilers but the reigning and six-time champions finally closed out the quarter on a 6-0 run to pull within nine points (49-58).
But the Canons, who got a team-high 15 points from David Deng and 11 points from Fayed Baale who dazzled and weaved through Oilers defence, managed to hang on in the final minute for the win and keep alive their hopes at a maiden championship.
James Okello scored a game-high 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the stunned-Oilers but got little support from teammates with Landry Ndikumana (12 points, 9 rebounds) who fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter and Drileba (12 points) the only other Oilers to score in double figures.
Titus Lual was once again the silent weapon for Canons with 11 points (nine of which came from downtown) and grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds before fouling out down the stretch while skipper Fadhil Chuma was excellent on the defensive end keeping Ndikumana in check.
The championship game will be played on Sunday evening and it will only be the fourth time that the finals will be decided in a Game 7.
