UGANDA | Inspired Warriors reach Fuba final

Warriors earned the right to stand a chance of dethroning champions DMark Power with an energetic display that dispatched the Mountain Dew-sponsored Falcons 79-62 under prefect weather on Saturday night at YMCA, Wandegeya. The capacity crowd witnessed an often one-sided game as Warriors came through the bruising best-of-five semifinal series 3-2 to reach the finals for the second time in three years as they moved a step closer to breaking their trophy duck.

“All we needed to do is show maturity which has been our problem,” said Warriors’ coach Gad Eteu told Daily Monitor. Omony fouls out Falcons had come from 2-0 down to force a decisive game but fell just short as star guard Stephen Omony, signed for Shs72m from Seychelles’ PSL Hawks in the off-season, fouled out with two minutes and 12 seconds left in the final quarter.

Kenyan Martin Okwako was the main catalyst of Omony’s demise as he tore through the Falcons defence quite too often in sinking a game-high 22 points to avoid a repeat of the 2007 finals which the latter won 3-2 after recovering from a similar situation. “Warriors hustled more than we did. They looked like they wanted it more,” Omony, who played at unusual centre but still managed 18 points, said. “A lot might be made out of my ejection but I always give my best whenever I step on court.”

Falcons struggled to match Warriors’ intensity and hunger from the onset as the six-time champions trailed 13-18, 19-26, 15-14 and 15-21 throughout the four quarters. Tanzanian recruit Abdullahi Ramadhan (10), Ronnie Kasewu (12), Steven Okias (11) were the other Warriors’ players in double figures while Falcons only had Omony to speak of in the absence of centre Henry Malinga (knee injury).

Champions Power, having completed their series 3-1 win over KIU last Sunday, will be the better rested side when the best-of-seven final series start on Friday at the same venue.

info: Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
photos edited by alsaINTERACTIVEMEDIA

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