A1 Challenge Player Profiles

A1 Challenge Player Profiles

A1 Challenge Player Profiles

#A1 Player Profiles

A1 Challenge See Off KIU Rangers

KIU RANGERS: 44
A1 CHALLENGE: 63

In an evening enveloped by a sense of closure to the league, we saw regular season curtains are drawn as A1 Challenge was called upon to announce their presence as the KIU Rangers test came knocking.

KIU Rangers saw off Nabisunsa Girls in their previous game well as A1 Challenge saw off KCCA Leopards in their previous game. There was more than just bragging rights at stake in this game, little wonder the hustle and fight on every 50-50 ball.

Both teams went neck to neck till a stroke of tactical brilliance in the thrid quarter,when the guards were instructed to switch to man to man defense which sterilized the Nansobya Judith's shooting threat which left the team with the case of a resilient workaholic in Nanyonga Florence which was hugely contained in the third quarter.

Ms. Okot Barbara had an almost flawless defensive display together with her replacement in Nakazibwe Sylvia, and in the same breath Nantongo Agnes 9pts and 12rebs can't go without mention.

KIU Rangers had their top threat Nansobya Judith sinking 10pts and had Nanyonga Florence score 12pts and Nakabubi Aisha bag 11pts to her name.

Coach Jeff Omondi who congratulated the ladies for the win, but highlighted that when playing offense the team needs to switch to offense mode and likewise when in defense the entire team has to switch to defense mode.

Also the fact that he was done with excuses because they are going to cost the team if they keep coming up. And resounding the fact that the little things will be punished in this play off format.

He reiterated that the team know they can play real well which is testament when you look at the run in to the end of the regular season, but individually there has to be a burden on each player to better elements of their game, be it shooting or defense or precision offensively. Ass. Mavita Ali highlighted the fact that the team ought to start contesting the shots and be a unit on and off the court.

Kudos were passed on to Ms. Hatima Kassim who nailed a double double with a game high 22points and picking 10rebs and has been firing on all cylinders. With the form that she is on, and the team playing with that immense confidence and resilience, we are in for one hell of a play-off season. Closely assisted by Birungi Mariam with 13points and Ms. Olivia Mulwana with 10point, whose jump shot brought the game to a close.

POSITIVES:
Ntale Vickie able to play despite being ill for an entire week. We wish you well captain, quick recovery.
Different players owning up to the responsibility of carrying the team, which is a huge plus because it adds the unpredictability element especially to our opponents, and reduces over reliance in one or two players.
#ForTheLoveOfTheGame
PLAY OFF SEASON IS HERE......SEE YOU SOON

A1 Challenge Seek To Wrap Up Regular Season In Style Against KIU Rangers...

A1 Challenge having started the season in the worst possible way, seek to end it leaving a resounding buzz. Having come close against Lady Canons ending [60:55], they went on to humble the defending champions 48hrs after [75:70], with a scintillating team display from the A1 Challenge camp.

KIU Rangers held on to win against Nabisunsa following a resurgence from Lokwameri Zainah and her troops nailing 30points to her name but weren't enough to save them. Notable assassins in Nansobya Judith, Atulinda Moreen, Nanyonga Florence and Nakabubi Aisha.

A1 Challenge humbled KIU Rangers [45:31] on 17 July 2013, and were shocked [44:42] in a reverse fixture which left a sour taste in the A1 camp. Since then, they've picked up their momentum and maintained their consistency and resilience.

In the absence of Liz Bazira, Khisa Marie and Karo Kasukye, A1 Challenge has gelled and since stabilized their camp, striking a balance between Nakazibwe Sylvia, Nakamoga Bridget and Kyalimazima Dorothy's youthful enthusiasm and pedigree in Olivia Mulwana, Barbra Okot, Birungi Mariam and of course Captain Ntale Vickie.


Tomorrow's game against KIU Rangers see's a familiar face in Nagitta Fredrickah face off her former club. It will be interesting to see how she responds to this.

:::NEXT WEEK::: PLAY OFFS BEGIN
:::A1 CHALLENGE RUN IN FORM COMING TO THIS GAME:::
W,W,W,W,L,W

A1 CHALLENGE MAKE A STATEMENT BY DEFEATING DEFENDING CHAMPIONS WITH PLAYOFFS LOOMING...

In a Wednesday fixture schedule, Independence was full of statements being made with the playoffs round the corner. Prior to this game, Ndejje University Angels beat up on DMark Power [67:61]. And don't you think this was a one-off result, A1 Challenge 48hours after a fight staged up on Lady canons, one would think fatigue would get the better of the ladies, but oops guess they were in for a stunner.

The seed of belief, hustle, team work and resilience that have been time and again sown in the ladies has began bearing fruit, at least we can see the fruits getting ripe.

Coach Jeff Omondi and Ass. Mavita Ali were delighted upon the win but more so the way the ladies are executing the strategy on training to the real game situations. Movements on and off the ball, as well as pressure on the defense and fighting for each and everything because any mistake could cost one the championship.

This win was dedicated to the relentless efforts by each and every lady wearing an A1 Challenge jersey. Hard work pays. Especially after Captain Vickie Ntale was having a good game and got fouled, one would be tempted to think that they are going to some how fall short. But they instead came together and stood firm to see of the KCCA pressure with a great team defensive display.

Speaking briefly with Vickie Ntale after the game having inquired about how serious the injury scare was, she responded "what does it matter, we won" and right now we are in jubilation. One day and at time. She managed to score 15 points helping Kassim Hatima who scored 17 points and Olivia Mulwana and Birungi Mariam sinking 11 each.

KCCA Leopards new signing Lamunu Claire scored a game high 22 points closely being helped by Oketcho Flavia with 15 points.

A1 Challenge are left with one more game before playoffs against KIU Rangers who also saw off a resilient fight from Nabisunsa after Lokwameri Zainah's 30 points againt KIU Rangers were not good enough for a Nabisunsa win.


NEXT FIXTURE: >>> A1 CHALLENGE v KIU RANGERS SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2013

A1 CHALLENGE FALL SHORT IN THE LADY CANONS TEST.....55:60

A1 Challenge coming fresh from a convincing mid-week victory over Gladiators showed ruthlessness in their game against the Lady Canons, and at one point it was anyone's game to win but they fell short in the dying seconds.


Namirimu Angella illustrated her lethal 3-pointer shot time and again in powering past the A1 Challenge defense, then the A1 defense had their work cut out, and whatever Coach Jeff Omondi and Ass. Mavita Ali told them brought a new belief.

The A1 Challenge ladies clawed from a 15 point deficit to just 3 points at one stage, leaving the Lady Canons revising their game plan to contain the A1 Challenge resurgence.

A1 Challenge worked their socks off and despite the score sheet there are so many positives to pick and strategize as they face the defending champions in KCCA Leopards come Independence day.With this resilience, match-ups, trash talk and the pre-match hype suffice for just a little.

The tide of this game is surely moving with the team that shows more heart, hustle and precision offensively and aggressiveness defensively.

#LDYCANONSA1CHALLENGE

A1 CHALLENGE OVERCOME SLOW START TO ACE GLADIATORS [63:44]

A1 CHALLENGE: 63 GLADIATORS: 44


A very wet and chilly day wasn't going to come in between this #190 fixture, A1 Challenge had to overcome a slow start to see off the Gladiators.

Having heard of the common quote of how score sheets sometimes flatter to deceive and do not tell the real story, but the athleticism of the Gladiators ladies especially Joan was quite a handful to the A1 Challenge defense which took a while to stabilize.


A1 Challenge will have to work on avoiding slow starts, especially seeing that UCU Lady Canons are coming to town on Sunday which calls for departmental awakening both offensively and defensively. Ntale Victoria led by example with 20 points to her name, with Kassim Hatima and Mariam Birungi scoring 9 a piece and Nantongo Agnes 8 points.


Having said all this, Ms. Mulwana Olivia engineered and controlled all the movement and strategy of the team. Her calm exuberance and experience is surely evident when she calls the shots. She also sank vital 3-pointers scoring 8 points.

:::::NEXT FIXTURE::::: UCU LADY CANONS Vs A1 CHALLENGE SUNDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2013

A1 Challenge Look To Ace Gladiator test...

A1 CHALLENGE FACE GLADIATOR TEST

A1 Challenge ladies look to save Coach Jeff Omondi a few blushes when they encounter Part III of the Gladiator test.

Not so long ago in the month of September, i believe it was the 8th, A1 Challenge took the day with a 20 point game difference[58:38]. This season's fault start had seen the ladies fall to a bizarre position on the table.

However, the recent resurgence in form, registering wins against Nabisunsa, Gladiators and Magic Stormers, Team A1 Challenge seek to finish the second round hard. Who knows the level of confidence this will bring with play offs not so far away...

Stay in touch as we bring you the action live as it happens in the YMCA Courts, lets pray that the Kampala rains won't wash out the courts thoroughly.


#BringYourGameFace