Victoria Crocs secured a crucial 64-57 victory over JT Jaguars BBC in a tightly contested National Basketball League (NBL) Men’s game played on Wednesday night at MTN Arena.
The result lifts the Crocs to eighth on the standings with six points, while the Jaguars remain in third place with eight points from five games.
The encounter saw Victoria Crocs maintain composure through all four quarters, registering consistent scores of 11, 20, 13, and 20 points respectively.
The Jaguars matched the Crocs in intensity but fell short in execution, tallying 10, 20, 12, and 15 points in the same periods.
Despite trailing in overall field goal percentage at 30% to the Jaguars’ 31%, the Crocs showed greater efficiency from long range, shooting 21% from three-point territory compared to their opponents’ 16%.
The Crocs also made the most of their free-throw opportunities, converting 9 of 14 attempts (64%) against the Jaguars’ 9 of 20 (45%).
Cedric Alema was instrumental for Victoria Crocs, nearly securing a triple-double with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, earning an efficiency index of 16.
Ronald Ayume added 10 points and 5 rebounds in a strong showing off the bench, while Bienfait Lola Minani delivered clutch free throws in the final seconds to shut the door on a late Jaguars comeback.
For the Jaguars, Peter Sifuma stood out with a dominant double-double performance of 18 points and 16 rebounds, leading all players with an efficiency of 27.
Were Mark chipped in with 11 points and 3 rebounds but couldn’t steer his side past a determined Crocs defense.
The final minute brought drama as the Jaguars cut the deficit to just five points with 24 seconds left on the clock. However, Minani’s composure at the line ensured Victoria held on for the win.
In other Wednesday fixtures, Nam Blazers cruised past KIU Titans with a commanding 126-70 win. The Blazers remain at the top of the table with 10 points from five games, while the Titans sit in 11th place with just three points.
Meanwhile, Rezlife Saints edged Livingstone 58-48 to climb to second on the log with 10 points from six games. Livingstone are now sixth with seven points from an equal number of outings.
The NBL action continues on Friday, April 11, when KCCA Panthers face UCU Canons at Lugogo Indoor Arena.
Saturday’s slate includes Sommet BC vs Livingstone, City Oilers vs Kampala Rockets, and Victoria Crocs back in action against JKL Dolphins.
