Sommet Basketball Club took a significant step forward in their 2025 National Basketball League campaign with a hard-fought 67-60 win over Victoria Crocs at YMCA Wandegeya on Wednesday night.
It marked their second victory of the season, offering a much-needed lift after a string of four consecutive defeats.
The win didn’t come easy, but it was a product of resilience, renewed focus and a solid defensive game plan that the team had been building over recent weeks.
Coach Albert Aciko, who has stood firm with his players through both the highs and lows of the season, emphasized that the result was not just about points on the board, it was about belief and execution.
“Every win is an opportunity to move forward,” said Coach Aciko after the game.
“After four straight losses, it’s nice to get a win. One thing we did very well over the last couple of weeks is improve on our defence. That gave me confidence we could make stops and we did.”
Sommet’s transition play and ability to turn defense into offense were key factors, especially in the first half where their stops led to easy baskets.
Despite a few errors, Aciko was proud of his team’s grit and growing maturity.
“We made some mistakes, yes but we were able to weather the storm,” he noted.
“We’ve improved so much in terms of grit and energy. We played strong, we played hard and we executed.”
Looking ahead, Aciko acknowledged the challenge posed by their next opponent, the Nam Blazers.
“It’s going to be a different ball game. We have to adjust strategies. But it’s also a great opportunity to showcase what we’ve got.”
One of the night’s standout performers, Mark Ngobi, echoed the coach’s sentiments with palpable confidence and determination.
“We knew we were going to win it. It was a do-or-die situation,” Ngobi said.
“We focused on encouraging each other to defend and that changed everything. The last four minutes, we locked in. We communicated, we hustled and that’s what got us through.”
On the looming encounter with the Nam Blazers, Ngobi didn’t mince words: “We are coming to play. We’re coming to show them some basketball.”
