For three quarters on Sunday, Sommet Basketball Club looked like they were about to script the upset of the playoffs. But when it mattered most, the City Oilers reminded everyone why they are the most dominant side in Ugandan basketball.
In Game 3 of the National Basketball League semifinal series at Lugogo Indoor Arena, the Oilers erased a five-point deficit heading into the last quarter with an extraordinary 22-0 run, storming to a 79-63 win and moving a step closer to yet another finals appearance.
Sommet had every reason to believe. John Focus Teko’s free throw helped them edge the first quarter 22-20, before they went into halftime with a four-point cushion (42-38). Their energy carried into the third, and a 59-54 lead at the buzzer had the underdogs dreaming.
But the Oilers’ championship DNA surfaced in ruthless fashion. Jordan Chad Bowie and Kurt Curry Wegscheider dropped 19 points apiece, while Mer Maker added 14, as the defending champions tore apart Sommet’s resistance in the final stretch.
Despite Nyembo Fataki (19 points) and Kasereka Tembo (16 points) fighting to keep Sommet alive, the Oilers’ knockout blow in the fourth quarter left no room for recovery.
The message was loud and clear: when it’s winning time, City Oilers do not flinch.
