The KIU Titans got the job done in the fourth quarter against the JT Jaguars to take a 1:0 lead in the series.

It was a slow start to the game, the 2 teams scoring a combined 19 points in the first quarter but the game picked up in the second.

The game was tied 5 times in the second quarter and there were more than 6 lead changes in the second quarter. The biggest lead of the quarter was 4 points and it came after the last made field goal by the kIU Titans.

The KIU Titans offense went in a slumber and they scored just 8 points, with 6 of them coming in the final 2 minutes of the game.

The JT Jaguars went on a 13:00 run and made it a 7-point lead, though the Titans scored in the final 2 minutes and it was a 3-point game as the fourth quarter approached.

Half way the game, the JT Jaguars offense became toothless, and they did not score for about four and a half minutes. On the other hand, the KIU Titans made a 14:00 run and put the game to bed with 94 seconds left.

 A few late free-throws saw the game end 60:51 with the Titans emerging triumphant.

Match Stats

KIU Titans

Joel Lukoji Banza 10 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 2 ast

Mpiya Juf 16 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Kasereka Tembo 14 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl

JT Jaguars

Kevin Moru 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl

Ian Lubwama 14 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast

Chuma Fadhili 7 pts, 13 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk

The JT Jaguars coach Sudi Ulanga had some reactions about his team’s performance after the game.

“I think we played much better compared to the two games we played in the regular season. I’m impressed with them, but they could have done better because most of the time we defended very well but our offense was a bit shabby. That’s the reason why we scored only 51 points”

He also talked about the fourth quarter performance where his team scored 11 points and conceded 23.

“I think the first four, five minutes in the fourth quarter we were defending very well but our offense was not good. When you are defending very well and the offense is not very good, eventually you start conceding points and that is what happened in the last five minutes”

He concluded with what his team needs to do better so as to get a result in a must win game 2.

“We just have to play better defensively and improve our offense. We defended very well today but we didn’t take advantage of our offensive possessions”

The KIU Titans were not on their best but still managed to get a result. The JT Jaguars on the other hand were good defensively, compared to the regular season when the two teams met, but their offense let them down.

The adjustments that both coaches and teams will be making in game 2 is very crucial but the JT Jaguars know that they must win in order to keep their season alive.

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