Oilers at full strength for Falcons tie - May 19, 2013
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City Oilers Steven Okello (R) tries to find a way past Power skipper Isaac Afidra in the mens topflight league opener. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA We surely havent seen the best of the much-debated City Oilers. Neither have we seen the best of Falcons. This is mainly because they havent put their best team on the floor yet.
Tonight at Lugogo, they both could field their best sides as they meet for the first time in the Airtel Basketball League [read more]
City Oilers Steven Okello (R) tries to find a way past Power skipper Isaac Afidra in the mens topflight league opener. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA We surely havent seen the best of the much-debated City Oilers. Neither have we seen the best of Falcons. This is mainly because they havent put their best team on the floor yet.
Tonight at Lugogo, they both could field their best sides as they meet for the first time in the Airtel Basketball League. Division Two champions City Oilers didnt have big men Ramadhan Arou and Kami Kabange as their clearances had not come through.
Both missed the opener which they lost to five-time champions DMark Power 68-65. Arou was cleared in time for the 102-44 rout of Miracle Eagles, scoring a game-high 26 points.
Kami will play for us for the first time, coach Mandy Juruni , who joined from champions Warriors in the off-season, told Daily Monitor. The Rwandese centre will be facing his former employers as he played for record champions Falcons three years ago.
He adds a lot. He is an all-round big man who can play away from the paint. He has a very good understanding of the game and also runs the floor, Juruni added. Like has been the norm in recent years, Falcons grow their team with time.
Tanzanian guard Abdullahi Ramadhan (Dulah) and Kenyan centre Philip Ameny are back and Falcons thin squad must feel relieved. I am here again to play for the title, as usual, Dulah, in his typical dismissive style, said. The pair, part of the Falcons who reached the finals last year, for the first time since 2008, returned this week and their presence despite the obvious unfitness should help. Courtesy of: http://basket-in-africa.blogspot.com
By Charles Mutebi
Today: National Basketball League
MTN Arena
Women: 6.30pm
KIU v A1
Men: 8.30pm
City Oil v Falcons
MANDY Jurunis last encounter with the Falcons ended with the humble coach exalted in championship glory.
His first this season finds Mandy on a new team but with the same old assignment winning the title. Safe to say, he might have to do it at the expense of the Falcons again [read more]
By Charles Mutebi Today: National Basketball League MTN Arena Women: 6.30pm KIU v A1 Men: 8.30pm City Oil v Falcons MANDY Jurunis last encounter with the Falcons ended with the humble coach exalted in championship glory. His first this season finds Mandy on a new team but with the same old assignment winning the title. Safe to say, he might have to do it at the expense of the Falcons again. Jurunis City Oil battle the Falcons today at the MTN Arena in a showdown of two frontrunners for the 2013 National Basketball League. For the man who masterminded Kyambogo Warriors 4-2 defeat of the Falcons in last years FUBA mens top-division Finals, todays game is an opportunity to judge the progress of his newly-assembled side, promoted from the second tier last year. It is always good to play against good teams, said Mandy. I cant say I am happy to face the team I beat for the title because I am on a new team now while the Falcons still have the same team. Rwanda centre Kami Kabenge is set to make his debut for City Oil, who have a new albeit very strong side but Mandy doesnt see the lack of chemistry as a threat anymore. We are ready, said the coach. We have worked so hard since the start of the year so chemistry is not a problem. Falcons star Steven Omony expects a tough match from City Oil, whom he considers a good team. He said: I believe they have a plan and there is nothing to underrate about them. We will approach them with respect. The Falcons have won all two of their games while City Oil have split theirs. Courtesy of: http://basket-in-africa.blogspot.com
Title hopefuls Warriors, UCU and Power all feature in a busy Sunday schedule against strugglers.
TODAY AT LUGOGO INDOOR
M: Warriors vs. Rhino (7.30pm)
M: UCU vs. Vegetarian (3.30pm)
M: Power vs. Heaters (1.30pm)
W: Stormers vs. UCU (5.30pm)
FRIDAY RESULTS
M: City Oilers 75-65 Falcons
W: KIU 54-52 A1 Challenge
Not since KCCA Leopards has a team had an introduction to the Airtel National Basketball League as grand as the one City Oilers is enjoying [read more]
Title hopefuls Warriors, UCU and Power all feature in a busy Sunday schedule against strugglers. TODAY AT LUGOGO INDOOR M: Warriors vs. Rhino (7.30pm) M: UCU vs. Vegetarian (3.30pm) M: Power vs. Heaters (1.30pm) W: Stormers vs. UCU (5.30pm) FRIDAY RESULTS M: City Oilers 75-65 Falcons W: KIU 54-52 A1 Challenge
Not since KCCA Leopards has a team had an introduction to the Airtel National Basketball League as grand as the one City Oilers is enjoying. When KCCA joined the league in 2004, with the financial backing of the then Kampala City Council (KCC), they rose up the ladder quickly and have since won three titles to their name including the last one.
Something they have never had is fans. Oilers have gone a step better. They had quite a crowd behind them in beating six-time champions Falcons 75-65 at the Lugogo MTN Arena on Friday night.Two years ago, Oilers were in Division Three. Successive promotions got them to the top tier and while here, coach Mandy Jurunis side mean business. The finances are a start. Their fans, most of whom had blue City Oil caps, know it after winning two of their opening three, narrowly losing the other tie 68-65 to five-time champions DMark Power. Every dunk, most in empty channels, was cheered like someone jumped over an arcade. Impressive blocks, seven in all, received an even louder cheer. The early signs are positive.
Ramadhan Arou tilted the scale heavily, scoring a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds, seven of them in a forgettable third period. That period ended 15-15 as Oilers held onto their six-point lead (31-25) from the first half. Arou had a game-high 26 points in the 102-44 rout of Miracle Eagles. I think we are still a bit rusty. You can judge us again when we play them in the second round, Arou vowed.
Debut delight Juruni had promised that Congolese-born Rwandese Kami Kabange, a Falcon three years ago, would play for the first time and he did. A return of 12 points and nine rebounds might look meager but his three blocks confirmed his all-round abilities. Both teams looked far from units with chemistry. Our depth helped, Jimmy Enabu, 11 points on the night, said. We now have options on offense and were very strong on defence. Falcons coach Tony Oluka had Tanzanian guard Abdullahi Ramadhan (Dulah) and Kenyan centre Philip Ameny rejoin the team this week. Whereas Ameny scored 13 points, treading a thin line having accumulated three fouls within the first two periods, Dulah didnt add much
His poor night was worth four points and four turnovers inside the first quarter. The umpires got him out the misery with a contentious ejection. We have a good team and will compete, Falcons players and coach said in chorus.
Not even Stephen Omonys 17 points from 12 attempts in total, most of them forced, and Geoff Omondis 15 papered a disjointed display. Courtesy of: http://basket-in-africa.blogspot.com
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