The Miracle Ravens handed the KCCA Leopards their first defeat of the season in a game they had to fight till the end.

They edged the Leopards 80-75 but the difference was their wonderful first quarter performance which gave them a ‘comfortable’ lead.

The Ravens came into the game on the back of a narrow defeat against UCU Lady Canons and they were very confident about their chances.

For the KCCA Leopards, they had registered a resounding victory in their previous game against Nkumba and they looked to build on that.

However, things did not go as expected and in the first quarter, they looked a mess offensively.

They scored just 4 of 23 field goal attempts and despite having multiple offensive rebounds, they only had 2 second-chance points to show for it.

In the second quarter, both teams went toe to toe, each scoring 20 points but the Ravens maintained their 14-point lead into the halftime break.

The defense by the KCCA Leopards was very improved in the third quarter and they looked like they were back in the game.

They forced Miracle into a couple of turnovers but they never scored a lot on those possessions.

At the end of the quarter, they led the game 57-50 and had the momentum with the final 10 minutes left.

KCCA continued to pile the pressure  on Miracle in the fourth quarter and for a moment, they looked to be caving in.

Mariam Namukwaya dropped back-to-back triples to snap the KCCA Leopards’ momentum and extend the Ravens lead to 10 points with 7 minutes left.

However, KCCA kept coming and they made a 9-0 run to make it a 3-point game with 4:43 left.

In clutch time, Isabella Namugabo scored a huge put-back plus the foul, while Mariam Namukwaya made the biggest play of the game, making an exquisite drive to the basket and finishing through contact.

The game was there for the taking for both teams till the end but KCCA had a lot of defensive lapses in the final 2 minutes and they paid a heavy price for that.

Match Facts

Mariam Namukwaya scored 30 points and she is the second player to score 30+ points in a game this season.

For the second game in a row, Miracle Ravens have had a player score at least 30+ points in a game.

Mariam Namukwaya and Brenda Alyano have each scored 10+ points per game in 3 consecutive games.

Tracy Namugosa has scored 15+ points in back-to-back games.

Match Stats

Miracle Ravens

Mariam Namukwaya 31 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Brenda Alyano 13 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast

Akello Winnifred 10 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk

Hanifah Namuli 13 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl

KCCA Leopards

Tracy Namugosa 23 pts, 3 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl

Uwineza Ninette 12 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 6 stl, 2 blk

Margaret Bagaala 10 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl

Asinah Kabendela 10 pts, 11 reb, 2 stl

The KCCA Leopards have a 1-1 record and will face KIU Rangers next on Friday 4th April.

Miracle Ravens have played the most games in the season so far and they have a 2-1 record.

They will take on the Nkumba Lady Marines on 9th April, and they have a chance to win their third game of the season.