Berkley, led by Duot Ajang and Richard Anyunva, defeated Nkumba Marines 80-72 in game three of the quarterfinals. With that victory, they won the series 2-1 and advanced to the semifinals.

In game one, Nkumba Marines won the game 63-59 to lead the series. Berkley leveled the series after a 72-61 victory in game two. Game three was the decider and both teams went for it.

The Nkumba Marines led the game 18-15 after the first quarter. The game started off slow as both teams scored 6 points each in the first 5 minutes but it picked up. Ayikobua Brian hit back-to-back triples to give Nkumba the 3-point lead.

For a period in the second quarter, Berkley made a 13-3 run to take an 8-point lead. At the end of the half, they led the game 37-33.

The Marines started the third quarter in fire. Mangak Chol made consecutive triples and 11 points in a space of 90 seconds. Nkumba took a 5-point lead but from there onwards, it was Berkley. Berkley outscored Nkumba by 4 in the quarter to extend their lead to 8 points.

Berkley extended their lead to 13 points early in the fourth. For the rest of the game, Nkumba was fighting to chip away the deficit. With less than 4 minutes to play, they cut the deficit to 6 points but Berkley held them off to secure the win.

Top Performers

Opio Emmanuel registered a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Richard Anyunva also registered a double-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 assists. Duot Ajang chipped in with 21 points and 6 rebounds.

Mangak Chol Thon led in scoring, rebounding and blocks. He registered 30 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks. Ayikobua Brian had 13 points while Arop Mahol and Steven Katabira each scored 10 points.

What next for both teams?

The Nkumba Marines hopes of making an NBL return have been curt short once again. They will look to try again in 2027. On the other hand, there is a lot of jubilation in the Berkley camp. Having earned promotion last season, they are on course to earning another promotion. Berkley is 3 wins away from NBL promotion and they will face Watoto in the semifinals.