The Espoir Basketball Club easily secured a 103-82 victory against the Titans in the Rwanda Basketball League, placing them back in the top 4. Meanwhile, APR BBC defeated UGB 85-76 in a fiercely contested match, allowing them to reclaim the top position.
At the Lycée de Kigali gymnasium, during Wednesday night’s matches, Espoir Basketball Club continued their pursuit of a playoff berth by decisively defeating the Titans, 103-82. APR also secured a victory, overcoming a resilient UGB team with a score of 85-76 to reclaim the top spot, holding a game in hand over the Patriots.
Espoir, a five-time Rwandan champion and last season’s third-place finisher, took control early with a five-point lead in the first quarter (22-17) and extended it to 52-45 by halftime. They maintained momentum with a strong second quarter, scoring 30 points, and continued their dominance in the third quarter with another 30 points while limiting the Titans to just 15 points.
In this quarter, Espoir effectively neutralized Philippe Kubanatubane, who had shown himself as a potential threat earlier in the game.
Kubanatubane, a former Espoir guard, scored 22 points in the first half, evenly distributing 11 points in each quarter.
Despite allowing the Titans to dominate the final quarter due to strategic rotations, Espoir secured a commanding 103-82 victory.
Ronald Nato Kolmia of Espoir delivered an outstanding performance with 22 points and 18 rebounds, achieving a double-double while also contributing 4 assists.
Despite playing for only 18 minutes, Fabrice Muhoza, known for his defensive prowess and leading the league in blocks during the first leg, showcased a double-double performance with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the game. Muhoza, also known as Musinga, additionally contributed 3 assists and 1 block during the match.
Olivier Turatsinze, last season’s MVP, made a significant impact off the bench for Espoir with 9 assists, 11 points, and 4 steals.
Philippe Kubanatubane, previously with Espoir and now the captain of the Titans, scored a game-high 29 points. However, despite his efforts and Kurt Douglass Hall Jr. combining for 56 points, the Titans managed to score only 81 points as a team.
Kurt had a standout performance with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, playing nearly the entire game.
Espoir’s victory moved them back into fourth place with six games remaining in the season, mirroring their position from last season before advancing to a third-place finish in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Titans face a challenging path ahead to avoid relegation, with critical matches looming on their schedule.
APR beat UGB in a tightly contested game.
Following the Espoir vs. K Titans matchup, UGB hosted the defending champions, APR, at the same venue. Despite being in 8th place in the league, United Basketball Generations put up a spirited effort to end APR’s five-game winning streak. However, APR’s cohesive team effort proved decisive, allowing them to maintain their top position with a record of 12-1.
The game remained competitive throughout, with the outcome hinged on the final four minutes. UGB held a narrow 71-70 lead with four minutes remaining, but APR’s physicality turned the tide. They outscored UGB 15-5 in the closing minutes to secure an 85-76 victory.
APR capitalized on fast breaks, scoring 37 points compared to UGB’s 20, but UGB dominated inside the paint with 38 points to APR’s 28. This was largely due to the tenacity of Milosevic Nemanja, whom APR struggled to contain. The Serbian center led all scorers with 29 points, along with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a 40-minute, non-stop performance.
UGB’s point guard, Patrick Junior, contributed 22 points, including five three-pointers, playing the entire 40 minutes alongside Nemanja.
APR showcased balanced contributions on both ends of the court, with Ntore Habimana leading the charge and coming close to a triple-double. The Rwandan international point guard scored 24 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in 32 minutes of play.
With this win, APR reclaimed the top spot in the standings, followed closely by the Patriots, who remain undefeated this season. REG holds the third position with a 10-3 record, while Espoir sits in fourth place with 8 wins and 4 losses.
The league action resumes on Friday, June 28, with a highly anticipated matchup between the Patriots and Espoir BBC at LDK.
