Wednesday, July 31 UGB vs Kigali Titans (3:30pm) Espoir vs Kepler (6pm) APR Vs REG (8:30pm) Venue: LDK Gymnasium Two local men’s basketball heavyweights —APR and Rwanda Energy Group (REG) —will rub shoulders at Lycee de Kigali gymnasium on Wednesday, July 31, in what will be their last meeting of the regular season in the 2024 national basketball league. REG, currently sitting third, will no doubt be seeking a revenge against the ‘Lions’ who edged them 79-75 in the first round. The match could be decided either way and the pair's new signings Cleveland Thomas Jr and Aliou Diarra will no doubt have a say on the result. Victory for APR, for instance, would see them move at the top of the standings, a spot that is currently occupied by Patriots BBC while a reverse result would guarantee a third-place finish for REG who boast 25 points. Both teams will be remaining with only two games to go in the local league before they head for the September playoffs. In the last five head-to-head encounters, REG won just once against APR and Wednesday’s victory would be vital for the energy side. On the same day, Espoir will play against Kepler, while United Generation will face Kigali Titans. All games will take place at LDK gymnasium. The regular season is approaching the climax with teams tussling out for the four top spots to qualify for the much-anticipated playoff run. Three teams—Espoir, Tigers, and Kepler—are all tussling it out for the only slot remaining to join the usual suspects Rwanda Energy Group (REG), Patriots, and APR who seem to have seal their place in the playoffs. Currently, the fourth place is occupied by Tigers with 25 points, followed by Espoir who are fifth with 24 while Kepler are in sixth place with 23 points. While Tigers have one game left to play, Espoir and Kepler have three games each, a factor that provides them with an advantage in the top four race.
