Thursday, August 20

Men’s finals

Game 2: APR Vs Patriots 9:30pm

Women’s finals

Game 1: REG Vs The Hoops 7pm

Patriots head coach Sunny Niyomugabo has backed his side to bounce back against APR in Game 2 and keep their Rwanda Basketball League title hopes alive.

APR dominated Game 1, cruising to a 117-91 victory over Patriots at BK Arena on Tuesday, August 18. The result gave the defending champions a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven finals series as they seek to retain their league crown.

The two sides return to BK Arena on Thursday, August 20, with Niyomugabo telling Times Sport that Game 2 could prove decisive in determining the direction of the series.

The Patriots coach described the encounter as a must-win and said his team cannot afford another defeat if they are to remain in contention for a fifth league title.

"We are not allowed to take any chances lightly in Game 2; it is a must-win game,” Niyomugabo said.

"It would be hard to recover if we lose again on Thursday. We will do everything possible to level the series and then take it from there, one game at a time.”

Patriots will need a major improvement after struggling to contain APR in the opening game, particularly during the first half when the defending champions built a commanding 64-38 lead.

Meanwhile, in the women’s category, REG and The Hoops Rwanda will face off in Game 1 of their best-of-seven finals series.