NAIROBI (Kenya) - Uganda's City Oilers got their campaign for a third Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualification off to a great start, seeing off Fox basketball from South Sudan 77-47.
The Andrew Tendo-coached side had a strong start, going 24-6 up in a dominant first quarter performance, the advantage carrying them through a match where their opponent's resolve for a comeback increased with each passing minute.
However, Oilers kept the fight going in a 20-15 second quarter to carry a 23-point advantage to the halftime break. Two quarters of 21-13 and 13-12 sealed the deal for the Ugandans, a perfect start for coach Tendo who is no stranger to this level of basketball, having served as the side's assistant coach in all their previous editions.
"This is the start we had envisioned as it is always good to win. Victory in the first match means we have the momentum for the rest of the competition and this is what we had been preparing for in the last three weeks. However, consistency is key in such a high level tournament and we have to remain focused," Tendo told FIBA.basketball.
Germaine Roebuck Jr led the charge for Oilers, who have failed to advance to the BAL playoffs in their previous two appearances, scoring 20 with Israel Otobo adding 13. Otobo, who featured for Burundi's Dynamo BBC, in the last Road to BAL came two rebounds short of a double-double.
"Everyone wants to win and being on this stage means bringing your all to a game," Otobo said. "The competition is tough but we had good preparations and are hoping to keep this momentum going."
Meanwhile coach Ajou Deng. who doubles as the South Sudan national team assistant coach and Fox basketball coach, described the loss as a 'slap on the face', one he is confident they can recover from.
"Nothing is lost yet," Deng opined. "We came into this competition with little preparations and met a strong Ugandan side that played really well. They shut us out from the get go. They are a solid side whose defense proved tough to penetrate and almost all our shots were contested. It was difficult to make any adjustments in this game but it was eye opening."
As they turn their focus on Urunani in their second match of the qualifiers, Deng admits that the Burundi champions are a well oiled machine that will take more than individual brilliance to match. On their part, Oilers will look to make it 2-0 when they take on Matero Magic.
FIBA