Sunday

Men’s finals: Game 4

IPRC-South                58-56         Patriots

Third-place: Game 3

Espoir                        57-69         IPRC-Kigali

IPRC-South interim coach Charles Mushumba has said that team work was the key to his side’s winning of the play-off finals on Sunday night at Amahoro indoor stadium.

Mushumba, who was hired as interim coach, replacing suspended Dider Bineza, to lead the team through playoffs, credited team spirit and high commitment for the side’s first major title in the club’s short history.

The Huye-based outfit lost Game 1 against Patriots but recovered to win the subsequent three games to take the best-of-five series 3-1.

 "We won because of team work, and commitment displayed by players, they deserved all the credit, teamwork was the key to this success,” in a post-match interview, Mushumba told Times Sport.

Asked if he will stay on after the playoffs, Mushumba replied, "My contract was to lead the team through the playoffs, I’m still the coach of UR- College of Arts and Social Sciences (UR-CASS). But moving to IPRC permanently would depend on the offer they put on the table.”

In a separate interview, IPRC-South Principal and club president Dr. Barnabe Twabagira said, "It would be premature to tell whether Mushumba will stay here or not, the club management will have to sit and decide on the move. Right now, it’s time to celebrate this achievement.”

Meanwhile, Albert Buhake’s youthful IPRC-Kigali also defied odds to finish third at the expense of former four-time defending champions Espoir.

Jean Bahufite’s Espoir won Game 1 on 86-85 but the Kicukiro-based IPRC-South bounced back to claim Game 2 and Game 3 on 71-69 and 69-57 respectively.

Patriots’ skipper Ally Kubwimana Kazingufu was named the 2015/2016 season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) while Burundi international Ines Nezerwa of Ubumwe BBC was voted MVP of the women’s category.

Olivier Shyaka (Espoir) and Nicole Urwibutso (UR- CASS) were the highest scorers in men and women’s frays respectively.

Bruno Nyamwasa of IPRC- Kigali and Francine Bahati Tuyambaze of The Hoops Rwanda won the Young Player of the season awards in their respective categories.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw