By Isaac Akugizibwe,
NATIONAL
KIU Titans beat UCU Canons 55-44 in the finals of the 2023 UCU open on Sunday evening to begin this Year’s basketball campaign on a high. The UCU open is an Invitational tournament that serves as curtain raiser for the new NBL season that is set to kick off this weekend.
The Titans beat UPDF in the Semifinals to set up a nerve fledgling encounter with the hosts who eliminated Ndejje Angels in another fierce matchup on Sunday. Despite having almost three quarters of the crowd on their side,UCU Canons could not stop a highly organised and determined KIU Titans side.
The final was a closely contested encounter but noway, the Canons could stop the incredible Titans side whose new boys were on fire through out the tournament,leave alone Innocent Ochera who needed the final to show a little of why the Titans lured him from Power.
He scored five incredible threes before recording the game’s highest,19 points. Former UPDF star Brian Opio,Peter Obleng, Collins Kasujja and Saidi Amisi Carmelo were all in good mood through out the weekend and in the finals.
Closer to Ochera incredible display in the final was the magnificent Edgar Munaba who scored 15 points and four rebounds to inspire KIU Titans to their first triumph since the UCU open was incepted.
KIU Titans head coach,Julius Lutwama said that winning the UCU open is part of the small wins that the Kansanga based side is winning as they aim for the bigger ones.
“It is a good test, a championship and it’s usually said that if you work very well on small things,You will be entrusted with bigger things. So beginning small is motivation,” he said in a post match interview.
Lutwama also said that winning the UCU open is another feel of belonging and bonding from management to players. He also acknowledged the the role played by his deputy Captain, Stanley Mugerwa who won the tournament’s MVP accolade.
“Mugerwa has given all his shoots tonight and through out the weekend he might have not done alot of what he expects of himself but he won the team a gold,” Mr.Lutwama noted.
KIU Titans is arguably one of the teams to look out for in the 2023 NBL season and they look poised to contend for the NBL championship. But Lutwama feels,the teams KIU Titans have beaten in the UCU open should not be taken for granted.
“We have won them yes, but the League is very different from a tournament. So these teams are special and they deserve every credit for the fight,” he acknowledged.
KIU Titans Victory has opened a fresh exchange on social media between their noisy neighbours, Namuwongo blazers who lost last year’s NBL final to City Oilers. This is expected to get tense as the teams prepare to face-off in the new NBL season.
