Champs UCU, KIU make early claim
UCU’s Desmond Owili receives the ball against St Paul yesterday. PHOTO BY Aminah Babiye
Mukono
Hosts Uganda Christian University (UCU) made their case for the Eastern Africa University Games basketball title defence by easily seeing off Kenya’s St Paul 54-15 at the institution’s main campus in Mukono yesterday.
Centre Desmond Owili scored a game high 14 points and Joseph Chuma added 10 as UCU, also the National University Sports Federations of Uganda (Nusfu) reigning champions, cruised. The game was so easy UCU did not need to have their coach Nicholas Natuhereza on the bench. “We didn’t have to engage second gear, really,” said UCU guard Suudi Ulanga, who only played five minutes. “But this should give us a head-start going into the next games. We need to defend the title and playing at home gives us an advantage.”
The other Ugandan side, Kampala International University (KIU), also got off a flier pounding country-mates Kyambogo 75-39. “The margin might be big but there is no small team here as every university wants to win,” said KIU’s David Dona, “We shall try to build on this because we want to win the title.”
In the women’s category, UCU Lady Canons tried to cheer up from their capitulation to KCCA Leopards in the National Basketball League to beat the University of Rwanda 58-21.
Mubs lost by a point to the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) as the Southern neighbours ran out 35-34 winners.
