• Namuwongo Blazers 99-56 COSPN

Namuwongo Blazers maintained their perfect start to the Road to the 2027 Basketball Africa League (BAL) East Division Qualifiers with a convincing 99-56 victory over Madagascar’s COSPN at Hoima City Arena on Thursday.

The Ugandan champions secured their second consecutive Group D win after opening their campaign with a 109-45 thrashing of Comoros’ Ushindzi Club de Ouani.

COSPN made an encouraging start, with Alpha Solondrainy opening the scoring with a layup, but the Blazers responded with a 13-0 run to take control of the contest.

Makhtar Gueye, Peter Olisemeka, John Jordan, Fataki Nyembo and Richaud Pack contributed during the scoring burst as Namuwongo established an early advantage.

However, defensive lapses allowed COSPN to stay in contention, with the Blazers holding a slim 20-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Namuwongo tightened their defence in the second period, restricting COSPN’s transition opportunities and limiting their effectiveness from the perimeter. The Blazers scored 23 points against their opponents’ 16 to take a 43-35 lead into halftime.

The third quarter proved decisive as Namuwongo stepped up their intensity at both ends of the court. They poured in 28 points while limiting COSPN to just eight, opening up a commanding 71-43 advantage heading into the final period.

The Blazers maintained their momentum in the fourth quarter, adding another 28 points as COSPN managed 13 to complete a 43-point victory.

Nyembo led the scoring with 23 points, eight rebounds and one assist, while Gueye contributed 15 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Peter Obleng also impressed with 11 points, nine rebounds and two assists as Namuwongo continued to demonstrate their depth.

For COSPN, Ikenna Kenechukwu Okeke finished with a team-high 20 points, four rebounds and six assists, while Hasina Rasolondrianna grabbed 10 rebounds.

The statistics further underlined Namuwongo’s dominance. They outrebounded COSPN 55-33, committed fewer turnovers (12-22) and registered more steals (12-5).

Nyembo provided a fitting highlight late in the game, throwing down consecutive dunks as the Blazers stretched their advantage and entertained the home crowd.

The result leaves Namuwongo at the top of Group D with two wins from two games, level with Burundi’s Urunani, who beat Patriots 84-79 earlier on Thursday.

COSPN remain third after suffering their second defeat, while South Sudan’s Patriots and Ushindzi occupy the bottom two positions, with both sides having played one game.

Namuwongo will have a rest day on Friday before returning to action on Saturday against Patriots at 6pm. They will then conclude their group campaign against Urunani on Sunday, also at 6pm.

The Blazers need at least one win from their remaining two games to secure a place in the Elite 16 stage in Nairobi, Kenya, as they continue their push towards the 2027 BAL.