Overview:
UCU Canons had to win the last game of regular season to survive the drop but now they will go all the way to fight for the title.
- National Basketball League Playoffs
- Wednesday, September 27, 2023
- D-mark Power 68-85 UCU Canons
UCU Canons staged a stunning show to register a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three duel against D-Mark Power to storm the semifinals.
Canons beat Power 85-68 in game three of the quarterfinals of the ongoing National Basketball League playoffs on Wednesday at YMCA Court, Wandegeya.
It was a fair-tale story for coach Nicholas Natuhereza’s troops to reach the last four.
UCU had to win the last game of the regular season to survive the drop but now they will go all the way to fight for the title.
It was a deciding game three and the victory gave the Mukono-based side a ticket to the semifinals.
UCU Canons started off to a stunning start with a brilliant offense, rotating the ball swiftly and getting to the rim with ease.
The Canons led 23-8 after the first quarter to create a gap of 15 points as they placed the sword on Power’s neck.
The boys in navy blue stretched it to a 27-point lead as the scoreboard read 50-23 at halftime.
After the long break, Power improved in the third quarter trying to chase down the score but still lacked the edge on the offense scoring only 18 points closing out the period at 70-41.
In the third quarter, Isaac Afidra made a nasty foul to send Jimmy Otim flying before he badly landed on the hard concrete surface. Even after medication, he failed to return to action.
In the last period, Power shot more from outside the paint but only reduced the gap to 17 points as the Canons walked away with a well-deserved victory.
Shortly after the final whistle, Natuhereza credited the victory to a brilliant and committed start which gave them the edge from the onset.
“We put up a good game thanks to a pretty much good start. We did not perform well in the first two games since we always found ourselves in the chasing pack. We came knowing they are much physical but am glad our game plan worked out,” he said.
Canons return to the court on Friday, September 29 to face KIU Titans in the University derby as the semifinals get underway.
