TodayUGB vs Rusizi 9amAPR vs IPRC-South 11am

FridayPatriots 65-52 APR

PATRIOTS basketball club’s new signing Junior Kasongo scored a game high 16 points to lead the 2016 champions to a deserved 65-52 win over APR at Amahoro Indoor Stadium on Friday night.

It was Kasongo’s second league game with Patriots after his debut appearance last weekend, where he also played a pivotal role in the defeat of defending champions Rwanda Energy Group (REG).

Friday’s win over the seven-time league champions, Patriots moved level on 9 points with REG, but the later lead the table courtesy of a better score average per game, after five games.

Patriots, who needed the win to keep pressure on REG, made no mistake against Aime Karim Nkusi’s determined military side. Henry Mwinuke’s Patriots took the first quarter 21-14 before stretching the lead to 34-24 by half-time.

APR, who last won the league in 2012, tried to come back in the contest but Patriots, led by their captain Aristide Mugabe gave them no chance, taking the third quarter 16-12 to make it 50-36 going into the last quarter, which APR claimed narrowly, 16-15.

DR Congo born power forward Kasongo topped the scorers’ sheet with 16 points while Rwanda international Mugabe added 11 points for the Patriots. Brian Mbanze was APR’s top-scorer with 11 points.

The win was Patriots’ fourth of the season, improving their win ratio to 4:1 while APR’s win ratio dropped to 2:2.

Meanwhile, there will be two games on Sunday when United Generation Basketball Club (UGB) host winless Rusizi, while the 2010 FIBA Africa Zone 5 champions APR return to action, facing Charles Mushumba’s IPRC-South, both games will be played at Amahoro Indoor Stadium.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw