The Namuwongo Blazers put on a masterclass at the Lugogo Indoor Arena, sealing a dominant 89-72 victory over the UCU Canons to complete a ruthless 3-0 series sweep and advance to the 2026 NBL finals.

Entering Game 3 with a comfortable 2-0 series lead, the Blazers left no room for a UCU comeback. The Canons, desperate for a win to keep their season alive, tried to match the intensity early on. However, the depth, and offensive poise of the defending contenders ultimately proved too much to handle.

A Fast Start

The UCU Canons started very strong and were playing with a high pace. They scored all their first 3 field goal attempts and in under 2 minutes played, they had scored 9 points. Halfway the quarter, the Canons still led the game but a major early turning point arrived when they suffered a massive setback as Otim was forced off the court due to an injury.

This was the start of the end for the Canons because shortly after, the Nam Blazers made a 13-2 run to close the quarter and they led 24-17.  

Many thought that the Blazers would break away in the second quarter but that wasn’t the case. The Canons matched them point for point and they kept the pressure. There was better ball movement and efficiency from the field and this kept the university side in the game. Nonetheless, the Namuwongo Blazers led the game 44-37 at the halftime break.

Pulling Away in the Second Half

The game broke wide open in the third quarter. The Blazers turned up the defensive pressure and executed cleanly on offense. They outscored the canons 28-15 to take a 20-point lead into the final period. Namuwongo was efficient as they made 6 threes and scored 4 of their attempted 7 2-poimnt shots.  

Down 20 points at the end of the third quarter, the game was a good as done. UCU tried to engineer something in the fourth quarter but time was against them and the Blazers took the game 89-72.

Top Performers

Kasereka Temboled the charge for the victors with a stellar 20-point performance. He did all that in 13 minutes and he made 5 of 6 3-point shots. Nyembo Fatakiscored 14 points but 9 pf those came from the free throw line. Anthony Chukwurah was thedominant force in the fourth quarter as he scored 9 points in that period and finished the game with 13 points.

For the UCU Canons, Ibanda Lwabaga and Marvin Jesse Okurut fought hard with 16 points apiece, while Flore Dushime added 12, but the team ultimately lacked the answers to halt Namuwongo’s march.

Finals next

With the semifinals done, the Namuwongo Blazers have moved on to yet another final. They will have to defend their championship and they await the winner between the City Oilers and the Rezlife Saints.

AT the moment, the City Oilers lead the series 2-0 with game 3 being on Friday 31st at Lugogo. Who will book their place in the finals?