For the first time in a decade, a team that is not City Oilers can be referred to as National Basketball League champions.
Namuwongo Blazers brought to end Oilers’ dominance with a commanding 68-55 victory in Game Six of the finals played Wednesday night at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
Stephen Nyeko’s charges went into the fixture with all the momentum, having won three in a row to recover from a 2-0 hole and eventually win the best-of-seven series 4-2.
Led by four former Oilers players, the Blazers closed the series to avoid a Game Seven and lift their first ever league title.
The pressure was on Oilers going into Game Six, and the 10-time champions failed to find answers to the tough questions paused by the Blazers’ defence.
And with the fully-packed Lugogo Arena in full voice backing the Blazers, there was nothing going City Oilers way and they settled for silver.
Tonny Drileba, whose return from injury in Game Three played a huge role in Namuwongo’s comeback, led from the front in the close out game.
Andrew Tendo’s side led 16-15 after a closely contested first quarter but the Blazers edged the second 20-19 to tie the game at 35-35 going into the halftime break.
The Blazers dominated the second half, maintaining a six-point difference until they broke away down the stretch to win by 13.
Three former Oilers captains Jimmy Enabu, James Okello and Ivan Muhwezi all played a huge role in bringing down the house they once called home.
Okello scored 16 points and gathered six rebounds in Game Six while Drileba got 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Enabu, who started the team’s second half run with a connection from downtown, scored 12 points while Peter Obleng registered 11 points.
Guard Joel Lukoji, who averaged 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, was named both regular season and finals MVP.
In the end, it was the know-how the Blazers acquired that helped them cross the finish line. The quartet from City Oilers provided the required experience when push came to shove in the series.
Performances of Anthony Chukwura, Arthur Wanyoto, Obleng and Innocent Ochera also played a huge part in delivering the crown.
Oilers’ troubles started early in the season, with their depleted roster delivering the team’s worst regular season record.
By finishing seventh, the record champions ended up facing second-seeded JT Jaguars, whom they defeated largely because of the quality provided by Chad Bowie and Kurt Wegscheider.
Their semifinal 3-2 series win over a thin Sommet side left more questions than answers.
The two additions have gone on to play a major role in the team’s run to the finals but, with little help coming from the core they found around, it was impossible to overcome a well-balanced Blazers side.
Two-time MVP Titus Lual and Fayed Baale struggled to impress throughout the series as the Blazers caused a shift in power.
National Basketball League
Finals – Game Six result
City Oilers 55-68 Nam Blazers