Friday, August 16 Schedule: REG vs. Espoir – 6:00 PM Patriots vs. APR – 8:30 PM As the Patriots Basketball Club prepares to face defending champions APR in a top-of-the-league showdown, Patriots’ head coach Henry Mwinuka has said he is aware of the challenge posed by APR's towering line-up, but insisted that he is confident to go all out for a victory, treating the game as a final. The two local giants will clash on Friday, August 16, at 8:30 PM at BK Arena in a match expected to determine the regular-season leader before the playoffs begin later this month to crown the champion. Patriots currently sit in second place with 30 points, trailing APR by three points, who lead the league with 33 points. Their most recent meeting on August 7 saw APR overpower Patriots 91-70 in the semi-finals of the Rwanda Cup. In an interview with Times Sport, Mwinuka acknowledged APR's size and strength, highlighting key players such as Aliou Diarra, Osborn Shema, and Bush Wamukota. Despite this, he emphasised that the Patriots are ready for the challenge. “We want to finish the regular season at the top, and so far, we haven’t lost a single game. That’s why our upcoming match against APR will be like a final,” he said. As the two teams prepare to face off, attention will be on the new players, including Patriots’ recent recruit Stephaun Branch, a 28-year-old American shooting guard with experience in leagues across Mexico, Romania, Belgium, Israel, Uruguay, and the USA. Fans are also eager to continue to watch Isaiah Miller, an American guard who joined APR last month from the NBA G League’s Salt Lake City Stars. Mwinuka said Branch is a good player whom he hopes to combine Will Perry, another American guard who plays for Patriots, to play even better. American media has previously described Branch as a versatile player capable of shooting threes, driving to the basket, grabbing rebounds, and contributing defensively with steals and blocks. Standing at 6'5 (1.96m), Branch is expected to form a formidable partnership with Will Perry, more so defensively, since he is an aggressive player. Both APR and the Patriots have already secured their spots in the playoffs, but each team is determined to finish the regular season in first place to ensure favourable matchups in the playoffs. With automatic qualification for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) at stake for the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) champion, the competition for the local league trophy is fierce.
