Patriots defeated Orion 78-72 in a hard-fought game that was decided in the final 47 seconds, bouncing back from two consecutive losses to improve to 6-3 in the Rwanda Basketball League 2025.
Cole Elliot Lamar led the charge with 28 points on Sunday, March 23, helping the Patriots recover from setbacks against APR and REG.
Patriots dominated early, leading by 12 after three quarters (24-15, 19-18, 22-20), but Orion, led by Stubbs, rallied to tie it at 72 with 47 seconds left.
The seasoned American point guard Lamar then drew three fouls and calmly sank all six free throws, sealing the Patriots’ victory and snapping their losing streak.
Lamar finished with a team-high 28 points, shooting 8-of-26 from the field, including 6-of-14 from beyond the arc. On the other side, Orion’s Stubbs Jeffrey Tyrone delivered an outstanding performance, posting a game-high 30 points, along with 7 rebounds and 9 assists.
Later, APR stayed perfect at 11-0, crushing Espoir 91-64 behind Diarra’s 24-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Earlier at the same venue, Azomco made history by securing their first-ever RBL win in an overtime thriller against Kepler.
APR leads the standings at 11-0, followed by REG at 8-1 and Patriots at 6-3. Meanwhile, the battle for the fourth and final playoff spot remains tight, with UGB (4-4) currently holding the edge over Kepler (3-5) and Tigers (3-5).
With Azomco’s first win, the relegation battle is heating up. Both Azomco and Espoir have just one win each, and only one team is set to be relegated.
