Enabu stars in Oilers loss
CAIRO, EGYPT.
Again, it was depth. It’s the one glaring ingredient that City Oilers have lacked the most at the ongoing Fiba Africa Club Champions’ Cup in Cairo, Egypt.
In their opening 77-69 loss to Algeria’s G.S.P, coach Mandy Juruni didn’t really turn to his bench accounting for just a combined 20 minutes. On Saturday, he tweaked that only for foul trouble to send the three-time defending Ugandan basketball league champions to an 83-72 loss to AS Sale of Morocco.
First Stanely Ociti was ejected after accumulating five fouls inside the third quarter.
With Ociti cheering the Fiba Africa Zone V champions, Oilers were still competitive until 7.50 to play in the fourth quarter.
Then came the hammer blow with AS Sale leading 66-62. Kami Kabange joined Ociti on the bench at the King Abdallah Faisal Arena, Al Ahly Club gymnasium.
There was little to come thereafter. However, such is the quality of Ociti that he had 18 points and five rebounds in just 21 minutes.
He had 24 and 12 in the group B opener. Kabange missed his first three shots but made 19 connecting in 50% of their 16 attempts.
Juruni had seen his team run toe-to-toe with the North Africans, leading 21-18 and 22-18 through the first two quarters.
AS Sale ran away 26-16 and 22-13 in the final two periods. Oilers found scoring tough without Ociti and then, Kabange.
Jimmy Enabu had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Ben Komakech slightly awoke from his slumber with six, four and 10.
Landry Ndikumana had three points and 11 rebounds, the latter tally equaling his tally in the first game. Andrew Opiyo led the role players with four and nine boards.
It was a game in which Oilers gave more than a good account only lacking on scoring options when Ociti and Kabange sat.
A deeper AS Sale had American Brandon Freeman sink game-high 20 points and eight rebounds. Three others also had double figures in scoring. Everyone here is taking the mighty lesson from Oilers’ first appearance at the elite Africa Club competition.
Their final group game is today against former champions, Angola’s RCD Libolo some of whose players gave Ocit a glowing tribute at the shared Pyramisa Hotel.
