Friday, August 14 – Semi-finals, Game 5 Patriots vs REG – 7pm APR vs RSSB Tigers – 9:30pm The Rwanda Basketball League semi-finals reach their climax on Friday as Patriots face REG and defending champions APR take on RSSB Tigers in decisive Game 5 encounters, with both series tied at 2-2 after four closely contested games. With places in the finals at stake, individual performances could prove decisive, particularly from the leading scorers who have carried much of their teams’ offensive burden throughout the series. ALSO READ: Playoffs: Patriots, Tigers tie series 2-2, force winner-takes-all Game 5 Key talismen For APR, American point guard Craig Randall has scored 94 points across the first four semi-final games, accounting for about 27 per cent of his team’s 354 points. He will be central to APR’s bid to reach the finals for the fourth consecutive year. RSSB Tigers, meanwhile, have been led by American forward Tyler Bey, who has scored a series-high 112 points. Bey has contributed nearly 31 per cent of the Tigers’ 357 points, making him one of the biggest threats APR will have to contain. The numbers also underline the importance of two key players in the other semi-final. Franklin Damaria has scored 74 of Patriots’ 312 points, contributing nearly 24 per cent of their total, while REG’s American guard Elliott Cole has 59 points from the team’s 296, accounting for about 20 per cent. Overall, the four teams have scored 1,319 points across the first four games, with Tigers leading the scoring with 357 points, followed by APR with 354, Patriots with 312 and REG with 296. The figures highlight both the competitiveness of the two series and the extent to which the teams have relied on their leading scorers. With no room for error in Game 5, the individual battles between these key players could have a major bearing on which teams advance to the finals. What’s at stake? APR are seeking to return to the Rwanda Basketball League finals for the fourth consecutive year, while RSSB Tigers are chasing their first-ever appearance in the championship finals. The two sides have already produced four highly competitive games. Tigers won the opening encounter 97-82 before APR responded with victories in Games 2 and 3. Tigers then forced a decider by winning Game 4, setting up another high-stakes meeting between the sides. In the other semi-final, Patriots secured a crucial Game 4 victory over REG to level the series at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth game. Both Game 5 encounters will be played at Amahoro Indoor Stadium on Friday, with Patriots facing REG at 7pm before APR and RSSB Tigers meet at 9:30pm. The winners of the two games will secure their places in the Rwanda Basketball League championship finals. In the women’s category, Kepler will face The Hoops in Game 4, while REG will take on APR in another Game 4 at the same venue.
