Sunday

Men

Espoir             73-60      APR

Rusizi             72-65      CSK

Women

The Hoops       46-50      Ubumwe

APR Basketball Club head coach Cliff Owuor has urged his players to shift focus to their must win clash against UGB on Friday after losing for the second time in a row against Espoir on Sunday.

The military side was defeated 60-73 by Espoir on Sunday at Amahoro stadium on day 3 of the ongoing national basketball championship.

APR, who are three-time FIBA Africa Zone Five Champions have had a slow start this season, and will face United Generation Basketball (UGB) club this Friday at Amahoro stadium with Coach Cliff Owuor hoping to arrest the slump.

"What’s important now is the game against UGB on Friday, winning it would be a very good turning point. All players and staff have to put behind Sunday’s defeat (to Espoir) and focus, there is a  will to overcome the situation and find a way back to where we belong,” Owuor told Times Sport yesterday.

When asked why his youthful team is having a slow start to the season, the former Kenya international Owuor said his side lost five key players in the transfer window and two others have long-term injuries but tipped his youthful side to adapt and shine soon.

During the transfer window, APR lost to Emmanuel Iyakaremye and Pascal Niyonkuru to Espoir, Didier Habimana, Eric Shyaka and Didier Ishimwe to IPRC- South as well as Jean Baptiste Kabayiza to UR- CASS while Abdoul Latif Nsengiyumva and Ali Ruzigande are currently out with ankle injuries.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Rusizi stunned Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) in a 72-65 win while former champions Ubumwe snatched a narrow 50-46 win over Hoops Rwanda in women’s league.