In the final 1 minute of the game, there were 13 attempted Free throws, and the game was there for the taking for both teams but Diamonds in the Sun managed to outlast a resilient Watoto to secure a 72-68 victory.

Having trailed by 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Watoto was on a mission to make a comeback and they almost did but for a few mishaps in the dying seconds of the game.

Watoto made an 8-0 run to come within 1 point with less than a minute left.

With 36 seconds left, Diamonds led by 2 points and Watoto advanced the ball after a timeout.

Straight from the inbound, they made a bad pass and Diamonds got the steal and the foul which Brian Opio to the line.

He scored one of them and a few seconds later, Daniel Muganzi was also sent to the Free throw line, he scored both and brought Watoto back to within one point with 15 seconds left.

In the next few seconds, Milton Okanya was fouled on 2 different occasions but he missed all the four free throws.

However, on the second time, Brian Opio managed to pick up the offensive rebound and made a put-back plus the foul, of which he scored from the line, and he buried the game.

Watoto led the game after the first quarter 22-15 but in the second, they released their foot off the gas and Diamonds got back in the game.

Diamonds in the Sun kept making defensive stops and scoring in transition which helped them a lot in the second quarter and at halftime, they were trailing by just 2 points, 35-33.

The momentum garnered by Diamonds in the second quarter overflowed in the third and they opened with a 7-0 run.

However, Watoto responded with a 7-0 run of their own to regain the lead halfway the quarter.

Things turned around drastically for Watoto in the final 4 minutes of the quarter.

Diamonds went on a 16-3 run to get an 11-point cushion just ahead of the final quarter.

In the last 4:13 minutes, Watoto scored just 3 points and attempted just 5 field goals.

To make matters worse, they missed all their four attempted free throws yet things were going very well for Diamonds.

Talking points

With this loss, Watoto now has a 10-15 record and looks the most likely team to finish in the 11th position which means relegation.

In their final 5 games, they play 2 of the top 5 teams (Sommet and Rezlife Saints), and if they can win at least 4 games, their chances of survival will be high.

Diamonds in the Sun has a 10-13 record and is looking very likely to survive.

In their final 7 games of the season, they only face 2 of the top 6 teams (UMU Flames and Rezlife Saints).

However, they will have to battle against Entebbe Knight Riders, Miracle Eagles, and Tropical Royals, all of whom are hunting for a place in the playoffs.

Match Stats

Watoto

Muganzi Daniel 19 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Omara Emmanuel 13 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl

Aaron Victor Makmot 8 pts, 6 reb

Diamonds

Brian Opio 26 pts, 6 reb, 4 stl

Jude Ochwo 12 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl

Riak Rout 12 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk

Watoto take on Knight Riders next in a must-win game for both sides.

If Watoto loses that one, their relegation situation will become worse but for Knight Riders, it will only be a setback from their goal of making the playoffs.

Diamonds in the Sun will return to action on Sunday against Entebbe Knight Riders in another big game.

If Knight Riders lose both games, Diamonds’ chances of making the playoffs increase and Watoto’s survival chances increase.

If Knight Riders wins both, Watoto will be in a dire situation while Diamonds chances of making the playoffs will become meager.