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Starting the second half with a 13-0 run, JKL sliced the deficit to five points and later to just one but ran out of steam down the stretch.
JKL Dolphins head coach Henry Malinga has blamed his team’s poor start to the game for defeat against KIU Titans Wednesday night.
After the first two quarters, the Dolphins found themselves in a spot of bother as KIU made shots to lead by 18 points going into the halftime break.
And despite a commendable fightback in the second half, Malinga and his troops did not have enough in the tank to go the entire distance.
“We started slow, and I think that’s what cost us today,” Malinga said after the game.
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00:04 - 22.06.2023
BASKETBALL Ahmed Kassa's game-high 20 points not enough as KIU Titans outlast JKL
Kassa finished the game with a game-high 20 points despite his team fading down the stretch to lose 76-64.
The Titans found early offence when Isaiah Ater Mabeny got hot from downtown to help them to a 29-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Saidi Amisi and Innocent Ochera were also major concerns for the Dolphins’ defence to deal with.
Starting the second half with a 13-0 run, JKL sliced the deficit to five points and later to just one but ran out of steam down the stretch.
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07:23 - 22.06.2023
BASKETBALL KIU Titans' Julius Lutwama happy with victory not performance
JKL relied on a 13-0 run at the start of the third quarter to slice the Titans' lead to just five points and further cut it to one before a late charge got KIU over the line.
“The team worked extra hard in that (third) quarter. We decided to play at our pace, but as we progressed in the fourth quarter, we kind of slowed down,” Malinga reasoned.
The team was led in scoring by new signing Ahmed Kassa, who poured in a game-high 20 points against his former side.
“The new signings come in with experience, and their skill sets suit us. For me, I think they are doing great so far, and all we need to do is to try and get them gelling with the rest of the guys.”
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08:48 - 22.06.2023
BASKETBALL Nineteen Gazelles called up for FIBA Afrobasket preps
Head coach Alberto Antuna has maintained the team that helped Uganda qualify for the finals and only added seven players plying their trade in the US.
Fadhil Chuma is the other new signing for JKL and contributed a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds to go with five assists.
The defeat was JKL’s ninth of the season, and they remain closer to the bottom than the top at the moment.
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