Friday, July 17

Results

Patriots 69-67 APR

REG 102-86 RSSB Tigers

Star guard Jeffery Tyrone Stubbs delivered a match-winning performance, recording 17 points, 10 assists and five rebounds to inspire Patriots to a thrilling 69-67 victory over rivals APR on Friday night, July 17, at BK Arena.

The victory served as sweet revenge for the Patriots, who suffered a 78-75 defeat to APR in the first round. The win also saw them reclaim top spot in the Rwanda Basketball League regular-season standings.

Sunny Niyomugabo’s Patriots made a strong start, taking a 9-0 run. APR fought back to narrow the deficit but Patriots held on to claim the first quarter 16-15 before taking the second 22-15 to carry a comfortable 38-30 lead into halftime.

APR responded strongly after the break, producing an impressive offensive display to erase the deficit. They claimed the third quarter 22-13 to take a slim one-point lead heading into the final period.

Patriots appeared to be in trouble after star guard Franklin Damaria was ejected late in the game for an unsportsmanlike gesture toward the match officials, forcing them to finish without one of their key players.

Despite the setback, Stubbs and his teammates stayed composed. Patriots won the fourth quarter 18-15 to seal a hard-fought two-point victory in a game that ended 00:47am.

Before his ejection, Damaria had contributed 16 points, while Nigerian centre Chingka Kennedy Garba added 14.

The victory lifts Patriots to the top of the league standings with 29 points. APR remain second with 28 points but still have a game in hand against RSSB Tigers.

Earlier in the evening, Rwanda Energy Group (REG) defeated RSSB Tigers 102-86. Tigers will now be looking to bounce back when they face APR.

The night's action, originally scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m., was delayed by more than two hours, with no official explanation provided. A source told Times Sport that the venue experienced a brief power outage that lasted only a few minutes.