APR HC kept their title hopes alive after defeating Police HC 31-25 in Game 3 of Rwanda Handball League finals on Saturday at Petit Stade. The win helped the army side cut their series deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-five finals. Facing elimination after losing the opening two games, APR responded with a dominant first-half display to take a commanding 21-11 lead at the break. APR controlled the opening 30 minutes with aggressive defending, quick ball movement and clinical finishing. Their collective performance was spearheaded by Viateur Rwamanywa who finished as top scorer of the game with 7 goals as APR built a 10-goal cushion before halftime. ALSO READ: Police HC edge closer to title defense after Game 2 win over APR HC Police HC, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm despite efforts of goalkeeper Peter Kwisanga who put up goalkeeping heroics in the second half. Although Police improved after the restart and reduced the deficit with a much stronger defensive performance, APR managed the game well to secure a deserved 31-25 victory. APR head coach Anaclet Bagirishya praised his players for showing mentality after bouncing back from two consecutive defeats. My message was simple. I told them they were better than what they had shown. If they had kept the same fighting spirit, we would have won, he said. We didn't have much time to train, but we prepared them mentally. During the video session, I showed them what they were capable of, and today they proved it on the court. The coach highlighted the contribution of his goalkeeper and the importance of maintaining the same approach. Our goalkeeper was outstanding today. When we talk about field players, we must also recognize the work of the goalkeeper. It's not over yet. We have to come back tomorrow with the same winning mentality. At APR, winning is part of our culture. Police HC right back Radzi Stower admitted his side paid the price for a poor first half but praised the team’s reaction after the break. The coach told us that we had to defend better because we were conceding too many goals. We started defending well in the second half and managed to reduce the gap to five goals. That gives us confidence going into the next match. Despite the defeat, Stower remains optimistic. I wouldn't call it a disappointment. Sometimes these things happen. Tomorrow we need to start strongly, bring more energy from defense to attack and try to win the match. APR will now look to level the series and force a decisive fifth game when the two rivals return to action for Game 4 on Sunday, June 28 at Petit Stade, Kickoff at 6 PM.
