Saturday, June 29
Women
*Rwanda Vs Egypt – 1PM
*Kenya Vs Uganda – 5PM
Men
*Tanzania Vs Kenya – 3PM
*Uganda Vs Egypt – 7PM
The 2019 Zone Five Championship returns on Saturday, after Friday’s break, with four fixture at the Indoor Arena in Lugogo.
Uganda’s senior women national basketball team, the Gazelles, will be seeking for resuscitation against Kenya after falling to Egypt.
Despite taking a 16 point halftime lead, Nicholas Natuhereza’s team failed to hold on for their second win before succumbing to Egypt in a poor showing.
“We didn’t relax,” small forward Zainah Lokwameri who started as a shooting guard on Thursday, told this website. “basketball is a four quarter game.”
“Egypt had an eight point run and we didn’t recover. We just failed to score easy points at the other end and that is why we lost.”
Uganda had beaten up on Rwanda 62-53 on June 26 in the opener and things were going smoothly for the hosts against Egypt until a third quarter collapse.
The Gazelles failed to contain Egypt’s point guard Soraya Degheidy who managed to penetrate the defence through no-look passes to say the least.
Kenya Pose Different Challenge
Against Kenya, Uganda will be facing a different team that plays a different ball game. The men have already tasted Kenya’s wrath.
Kenya lost 82-86 in a close game against Egypt in the opener but managed to strangle Rwanda 92-80 on day two.
The side, physical in nature, will rely on their big men Felmas Adhiambo, Mercy Wanyama plus a more familiar Vilma Achieng to shoulder off Uganda.
Shooting guard Hilda Indasi and small forward Betty Kananu are expected to trouble Uganda’s defense. The pair combined for 55 points against Rwanda on day two.
The Gazelles will need captain Flavia Oketcho to step up, after literally going missing in the first two games. Centres Martha Soigi and Hope Akello may be expected to play some more minutes in what promises to be a brutal affair.
