National Basketball League
Friday
Women, 7pm
UCU Lady Canons v Pearl Queens
Men,9pm
City Oilers v Sommet
City Oilers will put their perfect start in the National Basketball League on the line when they face Sommet in a Friday night showdown at the Indoor Arena in Lugogo.
The reigning powerhouses have made a flawless start to the men’s division, winning all three of their opening games against Namuwongo Blazers, UPDF Tomahawks and Kampala Rockets. Their last outing came nearly a month ago when they dismantled Rockets 80-43 in a dominant display.
In that game, Fayed Bbaale and Joel Lukoji led the scoring with 14 and 11 points respectively, while Titus Lual controlled the boards with 15 rebounds. Despite the comfortable win, the Oilers struggled from long range, converting just six of their 29 attempts from beyond the arc — an area the team will be eager to sharpen.
Sommet, however, arrive in Lugogo full of confidence after producing a statement performance in their most recent game. They defeated Rezlife Saints 83-73 to hand their opponents their first loss of the campaign.
Several Sommet players stepped up in that victory, with John Focus Teko scoring 16 points, Nkulu Kaseya adding 15, Peter Cheng contributing 12, while Emilagba Abolahji Abdulahi and Karabana Diaw chipped in with 11 and 10 respectively. Former Oilers guard Joseph Chuma also made an impact with seven points and eight rebounds.
Friday’s clash also revives memories of last season’s tightly contested playoff semifinal between the two sides. City Oilers needed a decisive fifth game to eliminate Sommet before advancing to the finals, where they eventually fell to Namuwongo Blazers.
It’s always exciting to see a team playing so well early on. The City Oilers really seem to have a strong strategy.