In the 2023 NBL, both Rezlife Saints and the UPDF Tomahawks were relegated, and fast-forward to 2025, the teams face off in the Semi-Finals of the FUBA Division One and only one team can advance.

The Rezlife Saints advanced after defeating Miracle Eagles 2-0 in the quarter-finals.

They won 62-48 in game one and 68-64 in game 2.

On the other hand, the UPDF Tomahawks made a comeback after trailing 1-0 and won the series 2-1, completely dominating in the decider.

UPDF went toe-to-toe in the first 2 games, losing 65-62 in game one and winning 60-59 in game 2.

In game 3, their defense put the Nkumba Marines offense in clamps and they managed to see off the game.

Head to Head

Rezlife Saints 72-46 UPDF Tomahawks

Rezlife Saints 67-57 UPDF Tomahawks

Rezlife Saints

Season Record: 29-3

Points For: 2290 (71.6)

Points Against: 1783 (55.7)

Last 5 Games

68:64 Miracle Eagles

62:48 Miracle Eagles

71:47 Old Tymers

83:45 Gulu Hawks

95:58 Watoto

Top Performers

Michael Othieno 13.9 pts, 5.4 reb, 3.2 ast, 2.3 stl

Acinbai Apugi 10 pts, 11 reb, 1.2 stl

Leonardo Gilabi 8.9 pts, 9 reb, 1.1 stl

UPDF Tomahawks

Season Record: 25-8

Points For: 2301 (69.7)

Points Against: 1855 (56.2)

Last 5 Games

74:51 Nkumba Marines

60:59 Nkumba Marines

62:65 Nkumba Marines

84:39 Sommet

79:61 Entebbe Knight Riders

Top Performers

Henry Okoth 14.2 pts, 3.4 reb, 1.3 ast, 1.5 stl

Felix Mukunzi 10.6 pts, 5.7 reb, 2.1 stl, 2 ast

Andrew Gang 8.1 pts, 5.2 reb, 2.7 ast, 1.8 stl

Talking points

Rezlife Saints defeated the UPDF Tomahawks in both games during the regular season but with what the army side showed in game 3, the Semi-Finals are expected to be very competitive.

One of the biggest talks points is the departure of the Rezlife Saints’ coach Najja Daniel.

Veteran player Michael Othieno stepped in as a coach-player, but being their most productive player, you’ll need him on the court, and balancing the on-court and bench can be tricky.

On the flip side, UPDF Tomahawks hired the services of Namuwongo Blazers coach Stephen ‘Escodata’ Nyeko to boost their technical side and so far, all has been well.

Defense

In game 3, UPDF took their defense to a whole new level and despite making mistakes of their own on offense, the defense was firmly anchored.

They limited Nkumba Marines to just 16 Field Goals and 26 turnovers.

The Tomahawks also had 21 steals and scored 31 points from turnovers.

The Tomahawks also cut off the penetration into their interior which made it difficult for Moses Mandiria and the other Nkumba Marines players to operate.

In the other game, Rezlife’s Apugi was on fire with 27 points and 28 rebounds in game one and 19 points and 22 rebounds.

He has been the danger for Rezlife in the two games and stopping him will be very key.

We expect UPDF to employ similar tactics that they did against Nkumba, a team that has a lot of height and length.

Rezlife Saints Shooting struggles

Over the 2 games in the quarter-finals, the Rezlife Saints scored just 7/36, 19% from the 3-point line.

Additionally, Apugi scored 20/49, 40.8% of the Field Goals scored in the 2 games and this pauses very many questions on the Saints’ collective offense.

The defense that UPDF played in game 3 showed how hard and disciplined they can be if they put their heart into it.

If they bring the same energy and effort in the semifinals,  Rezlife Saints will have to improve their shooting tremendously.