St. Mary’s Kitende and St. Michael High School Sonde were crowned champions of the 2026 Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) U20 National Basketball 3×3 tournament held at the Gulu Community Park.
From the semifinals, all the games, for both boys and girls, were mouthwatering but the finals were a spectacle. The 2 finals were won by a point each and the tensional in the closing minutes of the games was palpable.
In the women’s final, St. Mary’s Kitende and St. Noa Girls renewed their rivalry and once again, Kitende turned out triumphant with the final score 14–13. With under 20 seconds to play, St Noa led the game by 1 point and had an opportunity to extend their lead but missed from close range. Consequently, Kitende hit a 2-point shot to take a 1-point lead which they maintained and won the game.
Coming into the final, St Noa were the defending champions and despite having a weaker side, compared to 2025, they were solid. They had won all their games and it came down to their rivals in the end.
Enroute to the final, St. Mary’s Kitende edged Seroma Christian High School 13–11 in another dramatic tie, while St. Noa eliminated Buddo SS 19–10.
For the boys, St Michael High School Sonde captured their maiden U20 national 3×3 title by overcoming Buddo SS in a very nervy final. This game was end to end with neither team getting a significant advantage.
The lead was constantly changing but late in the game, St Michael hit 2 big baskets to go up by 3 points with seconds left. Buddo scored a very late 2-point shot was time was up and St Michael claimed the victory.
St Michael won both 3×3 National titles, in the U17 category that was played in Ball games 1 and the U20 category in Ball games 2. Also, they finished as 1st runners up in the U20 5v5 in Ball games 1.
Enroute to the finals, St Michael whitewashed Seroma Christian Hugh School 21-10 in the semifinal and cruised past Kibuli with a 15-8 victory in the quarterfinals. Buddo SS booked their final spot via a dramatic 19–18 buzzer-beater win against Elite High School.
Top 5 Final Standings (Boys)
- St Michael Sonde
- Buddo S.S
- Elite High School
- Seroma Christian HS
- Kibuli S.S
Top 5 Final Standings (Girls)
- St Mary’s Kitende
- St Noa Girls
- Buddo S.S
- Seroma Christian HS
- Zana Mixed
The top three teams in each category qualified for the FEASSA East African Games, which will be held in Morogoro, Tanzania, from 12th to 23rd August 2026.
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