Our Savior overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Namuwongo Blazers 75-65 in the National Basketball League on Sunday night.
The game started as a tight contest with the two teams exchanging baskets early in the opening quarter but the Blazers pulled away late to lead 21-15 at the end of the first period.
The Blazers started rolling in the second quarter, mixing transition basketball with some halfcourt sets whose actions freed up a man under the hoop for easy buckets. At the defensive end, the zone defense employed made Our Savior struggle to find a basket and the result was a 17-point (45-28) Blazers lead at halftime.
Our Savior returned for the third quarter much improved on both ends of the floor, especially the defensive end. They forced ten turnovers in the quarter, two of which were shot clock violations and five bad passes.
“When we went into the locker rooms I told the boys to play Our Savior basketball. Play hard, communicate on defense to switch and also take away the transition opportunities,” Moses Okwera said of the turnaround.
On the offensive end, Our Savior found gaps in the Blazers’ defense with Moses Mugisha, Henry Ssebagala and Kenneth Mesho taking it to the hole while Joseph Wacha found some rhythm from outside the arc and at the end of the third quarter, the game was tied at 54.
“Offense is patience,” Okwera said. “We relaxed and tried to run our plays [in the second half]. In the second quarter when they got that big lead, we were selfish and everybody wanted to score. So I told the guys to go back to moving the basketball and run our sets,” he added.
Blazers (1-1) assumed a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter but Our Savior (2-0) stayed locked in and took the lead (63-61) mid-way through the frame and never trailed again.
Mugisha finished with a game-high 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 steals to lead Our Savior. Wacha added 17 points while Mesho and Ssebagala contributed 12 and 10 points respectively.
Peter Cheng (11) and Paul Odong (10) were the only Blazers who scored in double figures. Geoffrey Soro and Joseph Chuma contributed 8 points apiece.
