Newly formed Patriot Basketball Club of South Sudan contested Urunani throughout their first Road to BAL game before losing 84-79 at Hoima City Arena in Uganda. Michael Dixon and Jackson Makoi scored 17 and 16 points respectively for Patriot.
The teams exchanged the lead from the opening tip-off, with 18 lead changes and no double-digit margin for either side. Makoi and Dixon led South Sudan’s attack, while Mahamane Coulibaly, Tyrone Stubbs and Bamba Diallo made an impact off the Burundian bench.
Patriot held a narrow advantage late in the game, but four turnovers and rushed offence helped Urunani take control. Coach Ajou Deng identified late-game execution and free-throw shooting as areas requiring improvement.
Urunani coach Elvis Hakizimana valued his side’s bench production. Diallo played substantial minutes after coming on for Chingka Garba and made several important shots. Patriot return on Friday against COSPN of Madagascar, while Urunani face Ushindzi of Comoros.
