- National Basketball League | Men | Friday
- UCU Canons 62-61 Namuwongo Blazers
It was a night to remember for Uganda Christian University (UCU) basketball fans as both the men’s and women’s teams claimed hard-fought wins at Lugogo Indoor Arena on Friday night.
The Lady Canons set the tone with a 71–62 win over JT Lady Jaguars, but it was the UCU Canons’ dramatic 62–61 victory over the unbeaten Namuwongo Blazers that stole the show.
With Nam Blazers leading in the final seconds, UCU’s Marvin Jesse Okurut hit a cold-blooded three at the buzzer to hand the league leaders their first loss of the season after 16 straight wins.
“I feel very, very happy,” Okurut said after the game. “It’s a big moment for the UCU family.”
Namuwongo’s top scorers Makiadi Micheal (14 points) and Tonny Drileba (12) kept their team in front most of the way, but UCU refused to break. Lwabaga Ibanda led the Canons with 14 points, while Okurut delivered when it mattered most.
“I always want to do better than in my last game,” Okurut said. “That’s my motivation.”
The Canons matched the Blazers blow for blow all night, showing grit and belief. With seconds left, head coach Nick Natuhereza, who also coached the Lady Canons earlier put the ball in Okurut’s hands.
“Coach drew the play on me,” he said. “I saw the defender late and thought, this is the moment.” And he made it count.
Now at 17-1, the Blazers finally look beatable. For UCU, this is the 11th win of the campaign and lifts them to third on the table but most importantly lifts their confidence.
“It’s a stepping stone,” Okurut said. “We need to build on it.”
