City Oilers worried about player safety ahead of Game Two

Before taking on Our Savior in Game One of their semifinal series last Sunday, City Oilers head coach Mandy Juruni and one of his assistants, Justus Mugisha, could be seen inspecting the surface of the YMCA court. 

The game had been delayed by a downpour that came during the teams’ warm-up session. The floor was still wet and slippery when the two sides took to the floor, and that has left Juruni concerned about the safety of not just his but all players.

“We cautious, but the game was fair,” Juruni said of his team’s 74-62 victory that gave them command of the five-game series. 

“We played on a slippery floor. It rained heavily when we were warming up, and they insisted on us playing after the rain,” he added.

“Our Savior insisted on playing; Fuba made their decision to go on with the games, so we did. Game was slow and dull, we just wanted to have a W.”

The rainy season at a time when the Lugogo Indoor Stadium is unavailable means that Fuba must rely on YMCA and hope the weather is friendly whenever there are games to be played. 

The Oilers’ focus on Wednesday will be on stretching their lead in the series to move a step closer to the finals and a ninth-straight championship.

Having eased past Kampala Rockets in the first round, the defending champions expect bumps along the way but only have eyes on yet another championship at the end of the season. 

“The goal is to win the championship, it doesn't matter how. We focus on playing better each game.” 

Our Savior, in the second round for the first time, will be hoping to get back in the series. 

In the ladies’ division, JT Lady Jaguars will look to even the series with KIU Rangers after falling in Game One on Sunday.