KIU Titans believe ahead of decsive Game Six
Down but not out. KIU Titans' Saidi Amisi falls to the fall during the ongoing finals. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Head coach Julius Lutwama saw his side force a Game Six following a hard-fought 65-62 win Sunday night and will be hoping to see more of the same when the two sides face off at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
KIU Titans have no room for error and must win the next two games to land their first-ever National Basketball League Championship.
Failure to win on Wednesday will make it the second time the Kansanga-based side is escorting City Oilers to the championship parade, having lost out in 2017.
Head coach Julius Lutwama saw his side force a Game Six following a hard-fought 65-62 win Sunday night and will be hoping to see more of the same when the two sides face off at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
“It is breathtaking when you play a game where the awarding ceremony is awaiting at the end of it, and you keep playing while seeing the trophies,” Lutwama said.
“We believe. Basketball is about believing. We are one down, and we need to play two games and win them,” he added.
With Sunday’s victory, the Titans cut the deficit to one game (2-3) but will need one more to force a Game Seven.
City Oilers have been cornered on two occasions and forced into a decider, from which the eight-time champions went on to win the championship, and KIU will be hoping to go all the way.
“We don’t have any other option. We either win or go home, so we will give it our best and make sure we leave everything on the floor,” Lutwama noted.
The Titans were dominant in the fourth frame of Game Five, outscoring the Oilers 18-11 to keep their hopes alive.
Forward Stanley Mugerwa emphasized the need for the team to share the ball a lot more and build on the win.
“I believe we can get back and tie the series,” the former Warriors player, who came off the bench to contribute eight points and five rebounds, said.
He added: “In the last quarter, we played team basketball, and that wasn't happening before. We need to believe more in our plays and also believe that we are good players.”
City Oilers will be looking to close the series and avoid the decider but will need to have their key players on top of things.
Only Jimmy Enabu managed to get into double figures in Game Five, but his game-high 22 points was insufficient on the day.
National Basketball League Finals
Playing Wednesday (Lugogo)
KIU Titans vs. City Oilers -7pm
