The Varsity Basketball tournament saw the University of Cape Town continue their good run, with another victory but this time around their victims were the Madibaz, who suffered a 67-47 defeat at the hands of the Capetonians at the Wits Old Mutual Sports Hall.
UCT have looked a completely different outfit since the start of the finals weekend, picking up three successive wins in as many games. They of course now await the rest of the results to see their final placing on the standings. The Madibaz haven’t been finding themselves on the winning side, often fighting their way back into games but then seeing things slip in the third and fourth quarters of their games. All that’s left for the Madibaz is just to play for pride and look to finish off their trip to Johannesburg on a high note.
The game was fairly one sided on the scoreboard in the first two quarters, with UCT stretching their lead significantly in the second quarter. The match up on the quarter was quite exciting in the first quarter, with the UCT exploiting defensive errors committed by the Madibaz. The first quarter was eventually wrapped up with UCT leading 18-3. The second quarter was more of a continuation of the first period, although the Madibaz did improve offensively but just lagging behind UCT at the interval.
The ‘championship quarter’, which so often decides games, was a big one for the Madibaz, who clawed their way back into the contest, coming just 7 points shy of UCT with the score at 40-33. Siphumle Qanya was however on hand to once again assist his UCT teammates to push the men from the Windy City over the edge, with his routine three-pointers and clinical defending. The more the Madibaz advanced forward in search of more points, the more mistakes they made, which UCT quickly pounced on, to turn defence into offense. The deficit in the end became too much in the end for the Madibaz, who eventually lost out to UCT 67-47.
Score
UCT 67-47 Madibaz
Teams
UCT: 3. Siphumle Qanya, 6. Kyle Maclean, 8. Change Gatere, 10. Brian Aliam, 11. Joshua Phiri, 13. Mutsa Bingandani, 15. Patrice Menda, 20. Jamal Fernandes, 33. Duncan Nicholson, 45. Buhle Bhopela
Madibaz: 4. Kgotsietsile Itshegetseng, 5. Leselo Mohale, 6. Gregory Reid, 7. Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, 8. George Mabata, 9. Thembelani Mangwana, 10. Shingirayi Matunhira, 11. Elton Rebaone, 12. Takudzwanashe Tigere, 13. Yusrie Astrie, 15. Denny Mahachi, 16. Khayelihle Ngema
By S’fiso Nyawo
