- UCU Canons 72-82 Namuwongo Blazers
In what was billed as their toughest challenge yet, the Namuwongo Blazers fended off a spirited UCU Canons side to preserve their flawless start to the 2025 National Basketball League season, emerging 82-72 victors in a gripping showdown at Lugogo Indoor Arena on Friday night.
The win marked the Blazers’ 11th straight triumph, sealing a perfect first-round campaign and solidifying their position as league leaders. But it did not come easily.
UCU Canons, coached by Nicholas Natuhereza, came into the game determined to snap the Blazers’ unbeaten run.
Led by Ibanda Lwabaga, who dropped a game-high 18 points, and Flore Dushime with 14, the Canons showed grit and fight throughout the contest.
Dushime’s floating jumper late in the first quarter narrowed the Blazers’ lead to just five, setting the tone for a closely fought encounter.
The second quarter saw the Canons claw back several times but the Blazers, coached by Escodata Stephen Nyeko, held firm, taking a 6-point cushion into halftime.
It was in the third quarter, however, that the Blazers’ defense took center stage, limiting the Canons to just 10 points and stretching their lead to double digits.
Yet the Canons refused to go away. With two minutes left on the clock, Dushime nailed a crucial shot to tie the game at 72-72, sending the Arena into a frenzy and threatening to derail the Blazers’ unbeaten run. But that’s when championship composure kicked in.
Blazers captain Jimmy Enabu, alongside teammates Moses Mugisha and Joel Lukoji each scoring 14 points, turned up the heat down the stretch.
Tonny Drileba and Peter Obleng chipped in with 11 points apiece while Arthur Wanyoto added 10.
Their combined effort and experience down the stretch silenced the Canons’ comeback hopes and sealed the hard-fought 10-point victory.
Despite the loss, the Canons earned respect for pushing the title favourites to the brink, and Friday’s clash may well be a preview of a high-stakes postseason rematch.
The Blazers now head into the second round with momentum while the Canons will take heart from a performance that, despite falling short, proved they can hang with the league’s best.
