Urunani defeated the Namuwongo Blazers 81-79 in a closely contested final Group D game at Hoima City Arena, finishing the group with a 4-0 record and a place in the East Division Elite 16.
Urunani established a double-digit lead before Namuwongo responded in the second quarter. Peter Obleng hit a go-ahead corner three-pointer at the buzzer to give the hosts a 45-43 half-time advantage.
The Blazers erased Urunani’s five-point lead with a 9-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter and slowed the pace thereafter. Urunani moved the ball quickly, finding Mahamane Coulibaly open for consecutive three-pointers that proved decisive.
Coulibaly finished with a team-high 23 points. Tyrone Stubbs scored 17, Chingka Garba added 15 and Bamba Diallo contributed 14 from the bench. Jonathan Jordan led Namuwongo with 25 points, while Franck Nyembo scored 14 and Obleng added 12.
Head coach Elvis Hakizimana said: “For me, Coulibaly is the best player on the continent, the versatility and all. He can do everything on the court. He can defend 1 to 4; he gives us a lot of flexibility on the court.” Both teams reached the Elite 16 via automatic qualification.
