Friday, August 16*JKL Lady Dolphins 51-48 JT Lady Jaguars*City Oilers 64-59 UCU Canons
Sunday, August 18*KIU Rangers Vs UCU Lady Canons – 12pm (0-1)*JT Lady Jaguars Vs JKL Lady Dolphins – 2pm (0-1)*UCU Canons Vs City Oilers – 4pm (0-1)*Nam Blazers Vs KIU Titans – 6pm (1-0)
City Oilers secured a hard-fought 64-59 victory over the UCU Canons in Game One of the National Basketball League (NBL) semifinals on Friday at Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
The win gives the Oilers a crucial 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Despite trailing 25-28 at halftime, the Oilers mounted a strong comeback in the second half.
UCU Canons pushed back, narrowing the deficit to just one point in the early moments of the fourth quarter.
However, the Oilers executed a decisive run and held their nerve in the closing stages to seal the win.
Moses Maker was the standout performer for the Oilers, recording a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
He received support from Fayed Baale and Titus Lual, who chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
For the UCU Canons, Joel Kayira had a commendable performance with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Peter Sifuma and Jimmy Otim contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Despite out-rebounding the Oilers 63-50, the Canons were hampered by 22 turnovers and a dismal shooting performance from beyond the arc, missing all 13 of their three-point attempts.
As the series progresses, the Canons will be eager to level the score in Game Two on Sunday.
Falling into a 2-0 deficit would put them in a difficult position to mount a comeback in the series.
Oilers player Edrine Walujjo was sidelined as investigations about match-fixing continue.
