Saturday

Final Patriots 76-61 REG

Third place IPRC-Kigali 87-79 APR

PATRIOTS Basketball Club have been crowned Rwandan champions for a third consecutive year after overpowering Rwanda Energy Group (REG) 76-61 in the final of the 2019/20 BK Basketball League at Kigali Arena on Saturday night.

It was also the club’s fourth championship in five years as they became the first local side to win three league titles in a row ‘three-peat’ since Espoir between 2012 and 2015.

While the game ended with a 15-point difference, Dean Murray’s men had outscored REG by 23 points in the third quarter before they took it slow against a visibly exhausted REG side in the final two minutes.

Shooting guard Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Gasana led Patriots with 21 points, while Dieudonne Ndizeye and Adonis Filet Jovon added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

The highly anticipated game, which was also watched by President Paul Kagame, marked the end of what has been the longest season in domestic basketball due to the Covid-19 pandemic that forced it into break from March 14 to October 18.

Meanwhile, earlier in the afternoon, the Hoops Rwanda were crowned as the women’s league champions for the club’s historic first time after beating IPRC Huye 68-63 in the final.

Courtesy of their league success, Patriots will represent the country in the 2021 Basketball Africa League (BAL), whereas the Hoops Rwanda will feature in the 2021 Fiba Africa Zone 5 Club Championship.

Men’s league champions since 2010

2019: Patriots 2018: Patriots 2017: REG 2016: Patriots 2015: Espoir 2014: Espoir 2013: Espoir 2012: Espoir 2011: Kigali Basketball Club 2010: APR