Power, KIU get National Basketball League playoffs rolling

KIU Titans have spent the last few days leading to the National Basketball League Playoffs training at Lugogo Indoor Stadium. Their opponents Power have also been putting in the work at YMCA in Wandegeya.

The results of these workouts will be seen tonight when the two sides meet in game one of the quarterfinal playoffs. It is the most exciting match up of the first round as number four takes on number five.

Having split the regular season games with Power taking the first and a greatly reinforced Titans taking the next, the two are evenly matched and are talking big going into the business end of the season.

“We are more than ready for the game,” Power assistant coach Louis Dingo told Daily Monitor ahead of the game.

Dingo has been calling the shots in the absence of head coach Bernice Ankunda. The tactician is held up with family issues in Kabale and is not expected back in time for tonight’s game.

“We have trained well and everyone is waiting for game time,” Dingo added.

Power made a statement by defeating City Oilers 82-75 to end the regular season with a 15-9 record. The Titans had the same record.

The university side started slow in the regular season but improved with additions that were made to the side. The addition of Kenyan forward Fidel Okoth and Isaiah Mabeny put the Titans in a good place.

The reliance on Edgar Munaba lessened for KIU as the season stretched and it was the three-point shooting threat of Mabeny and the versatility of Okoth that became the biggest threat. Ahmed Kassa also found rhythm from range while Joseph Chuma and Mohammed Abdikani patrolled the paint.

When asked about how to stop the Titans, Dingo was straight to the point: “We have to cut off their shooters.”

Innocent Ochera ended the regular season as the top scorer and will still be the source of offense for the five-time champions. He scored 356 points and averaged 14.8 in every game.

Own the glass

On one end of the floor will be a Power side full of playoffs experience and on the other, a KIU side largely inexperienced at the big stage. And Titans head coach Julius Lutwama will be hoping his players respect each and every possession against a Power side that thrives in transition.

“We have to respect Power at this level,” Lutwama told this paper.

“We must respect every possession because every ball you throw away is a scoring opportunity for them,” he added.

In players like Isaac Afidra, Geoffrey Soro and Francis Kasinde, Power have the resources to challenge any of the top sides but to keep any dreams of adding a sixth championship to their cabin, the work starts tonight against a scary Titans outfit that has bodies in the paint and possesses a threat on the perimeter. 

National Basketball League Playoffs

Game One (Lugogo)

KCCA vs. Angels -7pm

KIU Titans vs. Power -9pm