This game had 2 major things to discuss, the miraculous victory by the Jaguars and the call by the referees that decided the game.

This article shall try to balance both and also summarize the entirety of the game.

If you thought that we wouldn’t see a more insane victory compared to the one of the UCU Canons against the Namuwongo Blazers, you thought wrong.

The JT Jaguars literally pulled a victory out of the jaws of defeat and this was because the Kampala Rockets gave away the game but also the referees made them lose the game with a contentious call at the end.

With less than 3 seconds to play, the JT Jaguars were trailing by 1 point and after an inbound, a foul was called.

This happened close to the halfway line and the referee Brian Ssebalamu called a foul on the floor but since the Rockets were not in the bonus, it was going to be a side ball.

However, the other referee, Anita Wayenze, on the far side reversed the call and they made it a shooting 3 for the Jaguars.

George Agasi went to the free throw line and scored 2 of the 3 to win the game 56-55.

This upset some people and at full time, fights almost ensued.

The tempers were up and the referees needed security to escort them out of the premises.

Whether the decision that the referees made is right or wrong doesn’t matter but the fact that they made a decision while not being 100% certain and decided the game says a lot about their game management, which was poor to say the least.

The Kampala Rockets could blame the referees all they want but that is not the main reason why they lost the game.

With less than 10 seconds left to play, the game was tied 54 apiece and Peter Sifuma was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.

Edward Mugabo was on a drive to the basket and Sifuma grabbed him by the neck and dragged him outside.

This was very dangerous, a kind that could get someone suspended, but luckily for Mugabo, there was no major harm.

He went to the free throw line and missed both to keep the game tied.

The Jaguars then got a quick foul, on Edward Mugabo once again but he missed one and scored one to give the Rockets a point lead.

After that, the drama in the final seconds happened.

But if you think about it, the Rockets had a chance to win it with the free-throws but they dropped the ball and the Jaguars somehow got the win.

Before all that, the Rockets still had a chance to take the lead in the game but Mpiya Juf made hit the rim then Ozias got the offensive rebound and went for the put-back but somehow, the ball failed to go in.

Sifuma got the rebound, passed to Aaron Eboyu for a fast break but Aaron turned it over and that is how Sifuma got the Unsportsmanlike, while trying whatever he can to stop the play and it paid off in the end.

Coming into this game, the JT Jaguars needed a victory in order to secure a playoff spot.

On the other hand, the Kampala Rockets had already secured their playoff spot but needed to get a higher seeding.

In the first quarter, neither team scored inside the first 3 minutes but as the game went on, the players picked up.

The Kampala Rockets led the game 19-12 with 7 of their points coming from the free throw line.

In the second quarter, 2 things carried the JT Jaguars through.

The defense and Aaron Eboyu.

Eboyu scored 3 huge timely triples and this brought the Jaguars back in the game.

Their defense was also solid as they opted to apply pressure on the guards and trap them from time to time which paid off heavily.

By the halftime break, the Rockets still led the game, 30-29, but the momentum was all with the Jaguars.

The situation only got worse for the Rockets as they scored just 9 points in the third quarter and trailed by 6 points with one the fourth quarter left.

Aaron Eboyu once again was HIM in the third quarter as he scored a huge 3, made 2 drives to the basket and a put-back to make it 9 points in the quarter.

The first 5 points of the Rockets in the fourth quarter were points from turnovers.

They kept going to work in the paint and after trailing for long, they took the lead with under 5 minutes left in the game.

The Jaguars went back up but the Kampala Rockets had a chance to take the lead after Puati Ozias had gotten an offensive rebound and scored but was adjudged to have stepped out of bounds.

However, they got another defensive stop, and once again Ozias had a chance to score on a fast break but he missed.

Fortunately, he was fouled and he made both free throws.

The Rockets made another stop and all they had to do was see out the game but they turned the ball over at the top and Ian Lubwama tied the game.

Eventually, the chaos at the end happened but one thing for sure is, if a team is going to lose, they find a way to do so, and this is what happened.

Match Stats

JT Jaguars

Aaron Eboyu 19 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl

George Agasi 10 pts, 10 reb

Peter Sifuma 11 pts, 11 reb

Kampala Rockets

Puati Ozias Kikomba 15 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast, 5 blk

Mpiya Juf 9 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl

Brian Opio 9 pts, 4 reb

The Kampala Rockets have finished the regular season with a 13-9 record and will either finish 3rd or 4th depending on the results from the JT Jaguars and Sommet final games.

The JT Jaguars have secured a playoff spot with 2 games to spare.

They have a chance to finish second or third.

The Jaguars take on Sommet next on Friday 25th at Lugogo.