 Super 6 League after outclassing defending champions Foxes 81-65in a one-sided encounter at the City Sports Centre on Sunday.){kind=link}
The unbeaten JBC men’s side underlined their title credentials in the Harare Basketball Association (HBA) Super 6 League after outclassing defending champions Foxes 81-65in a one-sided encounter at the City Sports Centre on Sunday.
The result in the final match of the day meant JBC completed the opening half of the HBA Super 6 League season unbeaten.
Their victory on Sunday was inspired by Takudzwa Zamani led the charge with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Ben Nyatanga chipped in with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
JBC dominated the encounter as they led the scoring for 38 of the 40 minutes of gameplay. Their coach Johnson Shumba was pleased with the dominant display against a very good Foxes outfit.
“The match-up was not so easy as we all know Foxes in terms of player positions are the most balanced team in the league. Our big players got into foul trouble early and we had to rely on our guards to match up. It was a disadvantage on defence but offensively it gave us an edge with our transition offence that’s why we managed to keep the game close and then managed to break away in the third quarter and maintain the lead until the end,” Shumba said.
“We still have a lot of work to do seeing that everyone now is getting fit and teams are now aware of what the opponents have to offer and therefore coaches can plan accordingly. Overall, I’d like to say the boys played well and it was the commitment on defence that got us the win.”
In other matches played on Sunday, Bucs beat the City Hornets by a 2-point margin winning 74-72 in a game that had all fans on the edges of their sits with every play while Leopards Academy beat UZ Stars.
The teams now prepare for the second round of the Super 6 which is expected to start next weekend.
While JBC remains unbeaten in the men’s league, UZ Sparks have been equally impressive in the women’s competition after handing Bunnies a 60-point loss (96-36) which is the largest margin this season by any team in the Super 6 League this season.
The UZ Sparks point guard Vaida Anaishe Chivete led the scoring with 23 points in only 26 minutes of play while Tadiwa Mabika and Tapiwa Verengai weighed in with 11 and 12 points respectively.
The 21-year-old Sparks point-guard proved that being the smallest player on the floor is not a hindrance with an sterling display.
“It was a great game, everyone was locked in and my coach always tells me to run and get the transition going and that’s all l did. Like always our big players dominated the rebounding and that also helped us pull away,” Chivete said after the match.
Tadiwa Mabika as usual dominated the boards with 23 rebounds, claiming a double-double to her name, assisted by Kelly Mhembere, who chipped in with 14.
Earlier JBC Women secured a win against Girls High School outfit, Greenstarts 17-12 in a very low-scoring affair while Vixens beat Hornets 47-27.
Below is a roundup of results played in other regional leagues around the country. Winners from these leagues will compete with the HBA Super 6 League winners for the national championship and an opportunity to play in the Basketball Africa League.
Bulawayo Basketball League Results
Lakers 58 vs 14 City Knights (Men)
Lakers Mzansi 55 vs 16 Highlanders (Women)
Clippers 39 vs 72 Giants (Men)
NUST 41 vs 43 Legends (Men)
Mavericks 36 vs 20 Highlanders (Men)
Gweru Basketball League Results
MSU Hawks 69-63 Warriors
Gweru Legends 34-48 Wolves
Unicorns 79-98 Falcons
Kwekwe Basketball League Results
Pavilion Thunders 43-87 Primero
Pavilion Thunders 41-108 Titans