Over the last 2 games, Our Savior Banyabo have shown that they clearly aren’t interested in winning the series and this could be stemming more from their subconscious.

After Angels made a 13-point comeback to win 51-46 in game 3, the question on everyone’s lips was, how did Our Savior bottle this lead?

To take you back a bit, Angels won game 2 and tied the series but Our Savior looked so much better at the start of game 3.

Banyabo led by as many as 7 in the first quarter but Angels managed to make it a 1-point game as the quarter climaxed.

However in the second and third quarters, despite there being very low scores, Our Savior managed to amass a 10-point lead.

The third quarter was very poor in that there was just 1 field goal scored in the last 8 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, Angels just kept chipping away the deficit and stayed in the game.

When they got their moments they capitalized whilst Our Savior kept making the same mistakes they had been making throughout the game until they caught up with them.

Elwor Paulina made a huge 3 to give Angels the lead with 3 minutes to go, Angel Akuwei made 2 huge late baskets and Martha Patience Likicho sealed the victory on the line.

Why am i saying that Our Savior doesn’t want to win?

Well, first and foremost, Our Savior of course want to win but their actions aren’t for people who want to win.

The biggest problem they have faced is /or lack of HUNGER.

Over the last 2 games, Angels has made 78 turnovers and what does Our Savior have to show for it?  32 points from turnovers ONLY.

Just as their coach Angella Namirimu noted;

“We play great defense but fail to reward ourselves on offense. We either become sloppy or make bad decisions and this has helped Angels a lot”

In the first quarter alone, Our Savior should have scored 20+ points just from the errors that Angels made but they just couldn’t convert, even when alone and this had a ripple effect to the end of the game.

In the fourth quarter, Banyabo once again missed 2 open layups at a critical time from Patricia Namugambe and Faith Apio and this summed up their whole performance.

Banyabo has also been very lackluster from the free-throw line in the past 2 games. 4/14 in game 3 and 5/19 in game 2 and clearly, these are not numbers of a team that has serious intentions of going to the NBL.

When asked what the team needs to do in game 4 as they face elimination, Coach Angella had a simple message for her team.

“The ladies need to lock in and want it more”

That is the only thing the Banyabo players need to focus on, and maybe they should revisit the reasons why they think they deserve to be in the NBL; that could be a motivating factor.

For Angels, despite turning the ball over to their opponents for fun, they have found ways of winning the past 2 games and coach, Emmanuel Ateng, was very pleased because they achieved the objective of the day.

“The amazing thing about playoffs is that every win counts, it doesn’t matter how you got”

After losing the game on the free throw line in game one, Angels has outperformed Banyabo on the line in the last 2 games and the coach also addressed that.

“After game one, we went back and made sure that people took free throws because if the game comes down to the line, we need to win it on the line”

He also talked about what Angels need to do in the next game as they are a win away from returning to the NBL.

“There are very few things that you can switch up, at the end of the day, it comes down to who’s hungrier to win?

We are always reminding our girls to be more hungry than the other people, dig deeper than them, it doesn’t matter whether we’re up or down, just keep digging.”

Angel Akuwei dropped back-to-back double-doubles and the coach had some special praise for her.

“She was shaky in the first games but we knew we had to prepare her for the playoffs. She’s a difference maker for us”

Expectations in Game 4

With their season on the line, Our Savior should come playing like they are fighting for their lives.

Defensively, they have done their duty but offensively, they haven’t used their opportunities despite being given very many.

They need to be razor sharp and if only they can punish the mistakes of their opponents,  perhaps they can live to die another day.

Angels have gotten away in the last 2 games, and as a coach, the last thing you want is to see the same numerous mistakes made in the last 2 games happen for a third consecutive time.

All Angels have to try and do is to control the game and not to panic. Their main Point Guard Joan Namatovu made 12 turnovers in game 3 and Our Savior will have her as a target.

Angels will have to find ways of playing quicker to relieve pressure off of their guard because one certain thing is: Our Savior will be all out in game 4.

Match Stats

Our Savior Banyabo

Vivian Onyami 9 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl

Patricia Namugambe 7 pts, 8 stl,  4 reb, 2 ast

Angels

Angel Akuwei 11 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk

Elwor Paulina 9 pts 3/3 3P

Grace Kwarisima Mudiba 15 reb, 7 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Game 4 is expected to be happening on Saturday at YMCA.