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The UCU Lady Canons, defending champions of the National Basketball League (NBL), will face the newly-promoted JT Lady Jaguars at the Lugogo Arena on Friday.
The UCU Lady Canons, defending champions of the National Basketball League (NBL), will face the newly-promoted JT Lady Jaguars at the Lugogo Arena on Friday.
The game will be the first meeting between the two teams this season, but there is a sense of familiarity between them.
Eight players from the Lady Jaguars' team have previously played for the Lady Canons, with Maimuna Nabbosa and Ruth Letaru part of the championship-winning team last year.
Lady Jaguars head coach Sudi Ulanga also played for the Canons men's team as recently as last season, further highlighting the familiarity between the sides. "We approach the game differently depending on the opponent so that it will be both a challenge and a good thing. We will get better with every game", Ulanga told Pulse Sports.
Both teams like to swing the ball around and rotate players as they look for the open teammate and execute great shots.
In their last two games, the Lady Canons had 44 assists and defeated both the A1 Challenge and the Kampala University Ladies, a far cry from the nine assists they had in their opening game, where they lost to the JKL Lady Dolphins.
The Lady Jaguars provided 21 assists in their opening game against the Nkumba Lady Marines before falling short in a 69-63 loss to the Magic Stormers.
Both teams have also had great positivity from the bench, averaging 15 points per game this season, a good return at any level.
UCU head coach, Nicholas Natuhereza, believes that the Lady Jaguars are a serious contender for his team's championship. "They are a serious threat to our team defending the championship. However, they have experience and proven winners, so we have no advantage," he told this website.
Ruth Letaru and Tracy Namugosa will be instrumental to the Lady Canons' side, with the ability to get up and down the court during transitions, as both sides have been victims of odd turnovers.
Bridget Aber and Namuwaya Muhaimina will have an exciting matchup in the paint, with the winner having a considerable influence in deciding the game.
The Lady Jaguars emerged as winners of the pre-season encounter, the UCU Invitational, between the two sides.
A win for either team will do wonders for their confidence heading forward, as this season has the signs of being the most competitive yet.
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