By 
Namuwongo Blazers produced a dominant second-half display to dismantle Madagascar’s COSPN 99-56 in the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) at Hoima City Arena on Thursday.
Fataki Nyembo was at the heart of the Blazers’ impressive performance, finishing with a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds as the Ugandan side powered to a convincing 43-point victory.
Makhtar Gueye chipped in with 15 points, while Peter Obleng added 11 in a strong all-round offensive showing from the Blazers.
COSPN were led by Ikenna Kenechukwu, who scored 20 points, while Hasina Rasolondrianna collected 10 rebounds.
The final score, however, hardly reflected how competitive the contest had been during the opening quarter.
Alpha Solondrainy gave COSPN the first points of the game with a layup, but Namuwongo quickly responded with 13 unanswered points to take early control.
The Madagascar side refused to fold and took advantage of defensive gaps from the Blazers to work their way back into the game. By the end of the opening quarter, Namuwongo’s advantage had been reduced to just one point at 20-19.
The Blazers began to find their rhythm in the second period.
A much-improved defensive effort slowed COSPN in transition and made life more difficult for them on the perimeter. Namuwongo gradually stretched the gap and went into halftime leading 43-35.
Whatever hopes COSPN had of mounting a comeback quickly disappeared after the interval.
Namuwongo raised their intensity at both ends of the floor, holding their opponents to only eight points in the third quarter while pouring in 28 of their own.
That dominant spell opened up a 71-43 advantage heading into the final quarter and effectively put the contest beyond COSPN’s reach.
From there, it became a comfortable finish for the Blazers, who continued piling on the points as the gap grew.
Nyembo capped his standout performance in style with consecutive dunks in the closing stages, bringing the Hoima crowd to its feet as Namuwongo closed out an emphatic 99-56 victory.
The result provides another major boost for the Blazers as they pursue their ambition of progressing through the Road to BAL and securing a place on African club basketball’s biggest stage.
