Patriots, IPRC-South face-off in finals

Today Men’s Finals - Game 1Patriots vs IPRC-South 2pm Third place playoffEspoir vs IPRC-Kigali 12pm Friday: Semi-finals - Game 3Espoir 49-74 IPRC-SouthPatriots 92-64 IPRC-Kigali After comfortably winning their semi-final playoff decisive games, Patriots and IPRC-South basketball clubs resume rivalry lock in Game 1 of the best-of-five Finals series today at the National Paralympic Committee Gymnasium in Remera. IPRC-South, appearing in the Finals for the very first time, stunned defending champions Espoir, who had won Game 1 before losing Game 2, were humiliated 74-49 in the decisive Game 3 on Friday evening at Amahoro indoor stadium court. Speaking to Sunday Sport after winning the decisive Game 3, IPRC-South interim coach Charles Mushumba could not hide his excitement but cautioned his players to keep their feet on the ground and not get carried away. “We are very happy to be the final for the first time because Espoir are not only the four-time defending champions, but also the toughest team you can ever play against in Rwanda, so to beat them is a great feeling and I hope use can use it as motivation going into the finals,” he explained. Meanwhile, in what was one of the most entertaining games this season, Kagugu-based Patriots defeated IPRC-Kigali 92-64 to take the semi-final playoff series 2-1, after both sides had finished in a stalemate in the first two games. Patriots head coach Henry Mwinuka, who is eyeing a treble in his first season after claiming the regular season league and Gisembe memorial regional tournament, hailed his players’ “outstanding performance” and encouraged them to maintain the spirit in the finals. He said: “We have played really well today, and made good combinations throughout the game, but we have to keep in mind that our opponents in the finals will not be easy. So we must be well prepared for the long battle.” Meanwhile in the women category, rivals Ubumwe and APR will battle in Game 3 of their best-of-five finals series, with Ubumwe seeking to win the game to claim the title, having won the first two games last weekend. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Patriots, IPRC-South face-off in finals