Nam Blazers grind out overtime victory against Patriot BC

• Patriots 81–85 Nam Blazers (OT)

Namuwongo Blazers battled past South Sudan’s Patriot 85–81 in overtime to secure a hard-fought victory in the Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) encounter at Hoima City Arena on Saturday.

The contest got off to a slow start, with both sides going scoreless for the opening minute before Makhtar Gueye opened the scoring for the Blazers with a shot from beyond the arc. Patriot responded through Ater Majok as the two sides traded baskets.

Despite the Blazers’ efforts, Patriots held a 23–16 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

The Blazers found their rhythm in the second quarter, with Gueye leading the charge as they worked their way back into the contest. He capped off the stanza with a jump shot as the Ugandan side took a 42–37 lead into halftime.

Patriot came out stronger after the break, capitalising on fast-break opportunities as the Blazers struggled to regroup defensively.

Michael Dixon’s basket and successful trip to the free-throw line produced a four-point play, cutting the deficit to eight points at 58–50 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Patriot continued to apply pressure, combining tight defence with quick offensive transitions to narrow the gap to just four points, 62–58, heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter saw the Blazers suffer a setback when point guard Jordan Jonathan was forced off the court with a knee injury. Jimmy Enabu came on as his replacement.

With 2:41 remaining, Patriot mounted a spirited comeback, recovering from an eight-point deficit to level the scores at 72–72 and force the game into overtime.

The extra period proved to be a tense affair, with both sides trading trips to the free-throw line. However, the Blazers held their nerve in the closing moments to seal an important four-point victory.

Ater Majok led Patriot with 23 points, while Michael Dixon added 21. Nyang Wek contributed 13 points and Gob Makuac Gob finished with 12 as four Patriots players reached double figures.

Jordan Jonathan paced the Blazers with 20 points, followed by Gueye with 17, Richard Pack with 13 and Peter Obleng with 10.

Peter Olisemeka also made a significant contribution at both ends of the court, recording a double-double of 10 points and 17 rebounds to help the Blazers secure the victory.

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