Saturday Men 30-Plus vs REG 11am IPRC-South vs Patriots CSK vs Espoir 1pm UGB vs APR 3pm Women IPRC-South vs UR-CASS 1pm Sunday: Men Rusizi vs IPRC-Kigali 9am Basketball Playoffs reigning champions IPRC-South will be hoping to give regular season league winners Patriots a run for their money when the two rivals meet on Saturday in Huye. The two sides will clash in the second game of the season’s second round, although the Southern Province-based IPRC-South will be playing their first second round game. Patriots lead the table with 19 points while IPRC-South are in sixth with 14 points. The game means a lot to both sides as Patriots are vying to retain the top spot while IPRC-South, who had a modest first round, will be eyeing to make amends to boost their chances to fight for the league title or finish in the top four to be able to defend their playoff title. Both sides met in the final game of the first round in February in which Henry Mwinuka’s Patriots had the last laugh after defeating Charles Mushumba’s side 84-78. Mushumba and his men will be eager to hand the Kagugu-based side their second defeat of the season. But IPRC-South will not have their key player and captain Bievenue Niyonsaba, who is out for months with a knee injury. However, the shooting guard believes his teammates have got the ability to win the game without him. “This is a must win game for us if we are to stay in the title race, the team has taken advantage of the break and have been training rigorously, we want to begin the second round well and this is the best game to show what we’re capable of,” said Niyonsaba. Elsewhere, second-placed Rwanda Energy Group (REG) will be up against struggling 30-Plus at Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK), while CSK will host former champions Espoir with UGB taking on APR later on the same day, also at CSK court. Meanwhile, in the women league, IPRC-South and University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Sciences (UR-CASS) will lock horns in the Huye derby. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
