Now all roads lead to the finals on Friday 16 April 2010 at UCT…

Article by Victor Shakineza

2010 final of the USSA WC qualifiers

The scene has been set on what promises to be a humdinger of a game. CPUT vs. UCT produced a dramatic finish the last time they met, which UCT narrowly won by 3. CPUT will come into the game confident after their 47 point win against UWC which ensured they finished top of the league whilst UCT comes in to this game knowing very well that they have beat CPUT already in these championships. Will it be ‘Mr Clutch’ Ntunja that produces another last second win for the CATS or will it be ‘road rage killer’ Diatta that will once again kill the CATS with his unbelievable driving ability? Pride is what is on the line as both teams have qualified for the USSA nationals.

All will be revealed come 22h00, Friday night. ‘Dont touch me on my studio’ wont be the cries at these games. Alot of singing, fist pumping and support is expected from both sets of crowds. Considering it’s at the UCT indoor centre, we already know who is taking the support crown. Or do we???

The question however is…
Will UCT take full advantage of that support and bury the CATS or will CPUT want to revenge their earlier loss and play like LIONS. This will be a fitting end to what has been a pulsating USSA Western Cape qualifiers and the Mybasketball team will give you all the low down of that game.

For the ladies, it’s UCT vs. CPUT again so it will be an interesting night all round.

Till then,we out like that BBC Reporter…’COME OUT,GO OUT’…’Double Agent’…..

Article by Kimathi Toboti

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• USSA Western Cape Qualifiers – 12 March 2010
• WCBA 2010 Men Final – Vets vs. CPUT – Game 2

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21 consecutive points for Captain Fantastic,F Marais (UWC #8), sealed a dramatic game of two halves as UCT goes down for the first time during the USSA Western Cape 2010 Qualifiers. All those who did not have the opportunity to watch the game,I am sorry bafethu.

I have seen Neo ‘The Matrix’ Mothiba, Q Denyssen, Thabo ‘Spiderman’ Letsebe and even Lesego ‘I got game’ Molebatsi taking over a game. The ‘Matrix’ would just end everything with his famous ‘its over’ action just to top it off. Unfortunately none of those SA players heroics could have come close to what F Marais had in store for the ouma’s and oupas that came to support UWC.With the 1^st quarter being a 7 – 8 ding dong battle, no one expected what was to follow. The second Quarter was a 26 – 12 run for the UWC outfit that seemed to have UCT wetting their pants. Thanks partly to a full court press that UWC were playing. With turnovers galore from UCT, this was a clinic on how to run an effective press. UWC was boosted by the introduction of J Williams to the UWC outfit and I should have known what was to happen when he came to introduce himself to me. That hand shake was ‘make sure you don’t miss out on this game’ kind of a shake. UCT was just not in the rhythm and if their team name where UJ, I would have correctly guessed that they were in some GALAXY.

Going down into the half 15 points down, UCT fans who are known to be the most fanatic of them all where just silent but the support still evident. The second half started with V Mnini(UCT#7)setting the offensive tone for UCT as their captain was leading from the back as he did not bring his A game this time around. B Zhou(UCT #10) decided to help and before you know it,the UCT crowd was starting to believe and shouts of ‘U C WAAAT’ could be heard in Paarl,50km away. UCT began playing with a sense of purpose and V Mnini’s and B Zhou’s combined 16 points second half points made sure that UCT was in striking range having cut UWC ‘s lead to 8.

It could have been worse for UWC had F Marais not had something somethin during half time. Coming into the 1^st half F Marais had 2 points but finished with a game high 27 Points. F Marais’s 25 second half points where the main reason to UWC’s survival of a last quarter surge from UCT. The amazing scoring run started early in the 3^rd quarter when he(F Marais) scored UWC’s 8 points out of 10 points for the quarter and opened the 4^th Quarter with 11 straight points for the chaps from Bellvile. Simultaneously, UCT had clawed their way back in the game and M Diatta(UCT #9) had finally found the venue for the party and he was making up for the lost time.

There where 5 lead changes in the final 1:26 of this game. UCT should have sealed the game when UWC, out of frustration, received a technical foul and 2 shots. However UCT could only bank in 1 free throw out 4. With a perfectly set screen for  F Marais shot going in, UCT had a couple of  chances to finish the game but free throws where to haunt UCT and eventually went done by 2 .66 – 64.

As the UCT fans held their hands in the air after B Zhou could not pick up a fast break with 3 seconds left on the clock, cries of ‘LALALALA, LALALALA HEY HEY GOODBYE’  were sung by the UWC fans. This by the way is the signature song for UCT after they win and UCT got a taste of their own medicine.

One thing is for sure, YOU CANT KEEP A CHAMP DOWN, FOR LONG.Till that day comes, everyone in Bellvile is shouting, ‘U DUBS’!!!

CPUT vs MATIES

Vincent Ntunja 27 points ensured the CPUT CATS outshined a determined Maties (University of Stellenbosch) team. A spirited fight by the Maties court leader P Aarde(#9) could not however bring the win to a struggling Maties team that is looking for their first win of the qualifiers.

The Maties had to win the game to ensure that they still where in contention for the 2 Western Cape USSA spots that are up for grabs for the 2010 USSA Nationals to be held in Durban later this year. Maties started very slow due to a big line-up that they had on the court which featured 3 6-4 players.CPUT utilized the fastbreak against the MATIES to perfection and causing the MATIES’s tower of strength, C.Dering(#13) to be rushing back all the time on defense and thus being prone to fouling. The 1^st quarter ended with C Dering on 3 fouls and this disappointed Coach Booysen as the player was looking a real scoring threat. In no time, the CATS had built a 11 point lead going into the second.

Basketball is a game of runs and whilst CATS where already celebrating thinking they had won the game, P Aarde decided to take his team on his shoulders and started a fight back of note. The MATIES played good position basketball, with great passing and cutting to the baskets whilst CATS where trying too hard to force long 3s.P Aarde’s 9 quarter points was just what MATIES required and by the 4 minute mark of the second quarter, they had cut CPUT’s lead to only 1.Panic was the name of the game for the inexperienced CATS outfit and seemed like they had forgotten that they had forwards on their team.

With MATIES being 2 points down at half time, the game was perfectly balanced and an upset was on the cards. Unfortunately for the MATIES this was not to be. Unnecessary turnovers and the game tempo going up a notch led to the MATIES demise. The CATS built a double digit lead late in the 3^rd Quarter and never let go. The CATS emerged 68 – 55 winners and have to gather themselves for an encounter against a UWC team in 2 weeks time. The CATS will have to play better defense should they want to beat the UWC team which is currently (2 -0) and looking unstoppable with F Marais just giving clinics, day in day out.

Tonight Games (26 March 2010)

University of the Western Cape vs University of Stellenbosch

Uinversity of Cape Town vs Cape Peninsula University of Technology (bellvile)

‘Where will you be, cos all roads lead to UCT tonight?”

Article by Kimathi Toboti and edited by Victor Shakineza

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University of the Western Cape vs Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville Campus)

UWC was coming out for the first time during these qualifiers and the fans where at hand to welcome them. The first Men section game pitted Coach Q Rapitse’s UWC vs CPUT Panthers. Coach Mokoena’s CPUT Panthers where hoping for a better performance after losing to their CPUT rivals and where eager to prove to their Bellville neighbours that they were no pushover’s. CPUT came out guns blazing, making sure that they brought energy that they lacked during their previous game.S Matsheza(CPUT #10)was the catalyst for the panthers with his defense and getting open looks for teammates. S Gabriel (UWC #15) and F Marais (UWC #8) had other ideas and started getting points and important rebounds for their side. Such was their dominance; they accounted for their teams 13 points come the end of the 1^st quarter. This was a great start to the game and the teams could not be separated after the 1^st quarter. Score UWC 13 – CPUT (Bellville) 13

The second quarter was as heated as the 1^st but one could see that UWC was starting to get settled in the game and they were impressive on their sets. They were running some fastbreaks but everytime they seemed like pulling away O Khitsane (CPUT #12) would answer with some clutch shooting from outside, making sure his team did not fall behind.S Gabriel and F Marais where no longer getting the open looks of the 1^st half which forced other players to step up. Both team where shooting at a low shooting percentages and both coaches where not impressed with the shot selection that their teams took. The two teams kept the game interesting and the half time difference for CPUT was only 2 points. Half Time Score: UWC 24 – CPUT (Bellville) 22

Having not scored a single point in the 2^nd half, S Gabriel was back and seemed like a possessed warrior. Everytime he received the ball, he looked at making a hard move to the basketball. His post moves where immaculate and used his height to great effect and none of the CPUT defenders could stop him. One could see in his facial expression that he wanted his teammates to ‘make the circle bigger’. On a serious note, this ultimately was the game changing performance handing UWC an 18 – 8 scoreline in the 3^rd quarter.S Gabriel contributing 9 points in that run and some key rebounds.

The Panthers were looking to claw back into the game and started playing some pressure defense to try cut the 12 point deficit that they where facing. S Matsheza really impressed with some determined fighting but none of his teammates could give a significant contribution to give CPUT a turnaround to the scoreline. In the end S Gabriel’s 3^rd Quarter performance sealed the game for the UWC. . F Marais and S Gabriel scored game high 18 points with S Matsheza managing to a team high 14 points for his team. Final Score UWC 53 – CPUT 43

Cape Peninsula University of Technology  vs University of Cape Town (ladies)

The main game of the day was the battle between CPUT vs UCT ladies. Both teams came into the game feeling good from their 1^st game wins against CPUT Bellville and Stellenbosch respectively. The team to win this game would cement their place in the final although one would argue UCT had a good win against a Stellenbosch and all its remainder games where not as strong. Bragging rights where on the line and UCT had its 13^th player (crowd) roaring them on.

Jump Ball

The UCT team looked the more confident team and the indoor hall went berserk as UCT sharp shooter J Hlgenberg(#6) opened the game with a deep 3 pointer and immediately went into a Full Court Man to Man Press. Coach Mathew Nondlwana was well prepared for the press and handed the ball to their new recruit L Mtsweni(#7). With L Mtsweni’s pace and dribbling abilities, she quickly got the UCT players in foul trouble.S Matshalaga (UCT #9)was key to UCT fast paced offense and was able to get herself to the free throw line on numerous occasions and hit 4 free throws to keep UCT in the lead. The first quarter was spent a lot on the free throw line as both L Mtsweni and S Matshalaga where attacking hard to the basket for their respective teams. UCT still continued with their press despite their fouls and eventually had S Matshalaga on 3 fouls in the 1^st quarter.3 of the UCT players were in foul trouble but despite that UCT was 14 – 12 up at the end of the 1^st Quarter.

At the beginning of the 2^nd Quarter I thought to myself that UCT would sit back and play zone defense based on their numerous players that had 2 or more fouls. This was not the case and they changed to a full court zone press, trying to get the ball to the sideline but the CPUT outfit lead by H Ungwagwa(#4) kept the ball from the traps. UCT just could not stop fouling and this was evident after 4 of the 1^st 5 where on foul trouble. This was partly due to some dubious referring from the referees, where it seemed as if they where intimidated by L Mtsweni’s presence in the game. L Mstweni was stuck on automatic, hitting free throw after free throw. She however, during numerous stages, forget that she was playing with teammates and thus started getting frustrated and losing focus. This lead her to lose the ball and ended having to chance back on defense. At the half she was on 4 fouls with CPUT holding on to a 6 point lead. Half Time Score: CPUT 30 – UCT 24

Coach M Nondlwana of CPUT had to sit down L Mtsweni and the lady Cats had to find other scoring avenues and they got that from their point guard H Ungwagwa.The UCT Head Coach, T Leclech, was increasingly losing his cool with the referees whilst his team was making a comeback but the referees where really pushing him to the edge. I must admit that this was one of the worst games I have ever seen from a team of referees. It was as if the one referee was trying so hard to outdo each other on who could have the worst game. The UCT ladies where determined but CPUT’s Ungwagwa was able to control the game especially that UCT had gone into a passive 2 – 3 Zone.

UCT on the other hand where getting offensive help from the unlikely source, T Silubone(#15). With the starters locked on foul trouble, she was able to bring energy to the UCT crowd that returned the favour and UCT believed that a comeback was on the cards. Despite this, UCT trailed going into the fourth quarter.

Coach Leclech eventually lost his cool and got a disqualifying foul for arguing with the POLICE (Refs) and Assistant Coach Kazadi had to take over. With UCT making a come back and being within 3 points, L Mtsweni hit the ensuing 2 shots plus her 2 free throws due to her on a previous foul before the disqualifying foul. To make matters worse CPUT got fouled after the ball was inbouded from half court and CPUT accumulated 5 points with only 5 secs coming off. This frustration filtered down to the players and some more technical fouls followed. L Mtsweni continued where she left of in the 1^st half and scored 12 in the last quarter thus taking her tally to a game high 28 points. T Silubone top scored with 19 points for UCT and was my player of the game.

CPUT might have won the game but something tells me that these two teams will most definitely meet in the final and I can see the rivalry just getting more heated with every game. This was a terrific game of basketball.

In other games played:

UWC ladies gave CPUT (Bellville) a hiding and a half. With the final score of 112 – 12 to UWC. Coach Wambi’s CPUT team was just not good enough in this game and have a lot to work on should they want to compete at this level.I am impressed with the team spirit of the team but besides that,they can use this a building phase for the institution.

UCT was out to avenge their ladies team loss and it should in the opening stanza of the game. This was one of the 3 exciting games of the day and it did not disappoint. UCT showed a great sense of desire and lead by their Captain,M Diatta overcame a sluggish looking CPUT team. The UCT team is undefeated at the moment and just need 1 win to ensure qualification for the final. UCT had 3 players in double figures with contributions from L Viljoen (#15),T Magezi (#13) and B Zhou (#10).V Ntunja had a game high 27 pts but it was a case of too little too late for CPUT and they on the verge of elimination should the lose any more games.The Final Score: UCT 58 – CPUT 55

Fixtures for the 19^th March 2010

Ladies at 18h30

CPUT vs Stellenbosch

UCT vs UWC

Men at 20h30

CPUT vs Stellenbosch

UCT vs UWC

Article by Kimathi Toboti and edited by Victor Shakineza

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There are 5 institutions participating in these qualifiers:

UCT

CPUT

UWC

Stellenbosch

CPUT Bellville

UCT comes in as favourites coming in to the second week of these qualifiers based on the performance of their teams during the opening day of games. Speaking to the USSA Chairperson Mr Frans Mamabolo,he indicated the desire of the USSA western cape to build University Basketball in the next 2 years so that the province can compete with and win against teams from Gauteng.

He was also excited about the future of Western Cape ability to recruit good players from other provinces such as CPUT’s Lungile Mtsweni from UJ.The national ladies coach, Mr Craig Daniel, was spotted in the crowd and he expressed excitement at the prospect that elite players from other provinces recognised the numerous facilities at the disposal of Western Cape institutions and hoped other players similar to Ms Lungile Mtsweni talents could make a contribution in the standard of play within the province.

On the day 4 games where played, with the following results;

Men

Stellenbosch 60  vs UCT 84

CPUT (Bellville) 39 vs CPUT (Cape Town) 64

Women

Stellenbosch 33 Vs UCT 77

CPUT (Bellville) 3 vs CPUT (Cape Town) 134

As from next week I will be giving feedback on games from the USSA qualifiers and getting coaches and player profiles from the various institutions. We will give a report on tonights main game between CPUT and UCT(die poppe gaan dans vanaand) as well as all the results from the UCT indoor. All fans are invited and games begin at 18h00.

Till then,as they say in the Western Cape….

‘JY MOET DIE GAME SMAAK!RAAK WYS.HOSH!!!’

Article by Kimathi Toboti and edited by Victor Shakineza

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University of Johannesburg vs. Vaal University of Technology – Ladies

VUT started like a house on fire with great inside play from the ladies from Zimbabwe (VUT 4, 14 and 15) and UJ started small to everyone’s surprise in the stands. This played into VUT hands and they had a 10 point run in the first 5 minutes. With 2 minutes left, VUT coach-Zanele Ngwenya took out his starting 5 and played his second unit, which enabled UJ to get back in the game. In hindsight, this looked like a very bad move from VUT coach, Zanele Ngwenya but after looking at the overall game, this move led to UJs key players picking up fouls against the 2^nd unit and the VUT starting 5 had enough rest for the rest of the game which helped them wrap things up in the fourth. After speaking to Zanele Ngwenya after the game on his overall thoughts on the game, he said: “I outsmarted the UJ coaches”.After the first quarter, UJ had made inroads into VUT’s the 10 point lead and they had cut down it down to 5 points. The second quarter was all about UJ 10 (Ellen Mouthlwase) and her quick thinking. She made UJ tick on offense while their defence improved to hold VUT to only 8 points only. At half time the score was tied 28 points apiece.

VUT started the 3^rd quarter with the starting 5 which included 3 zimbabweans girls, 1 namibian girl and a South African girl (Requelh)who was running point; these players all play for their countries respectively and that experience was evident on the floor with the great poise they showed when they came on the court. The chief suspect was VUT 14 (Chugulba, C) who was having a great game with an amazing number of rebounds and second chances. And when she wasn’t hurting UJ with 2^nd chances, she was hurting them by making her free throws. They outscored UJ by 10 points in this quarter.

The final quarter of the game was a strange one, with UJ10 (Ellen Mouthlwase) in foul trouble, she was left on the bench until there was about 6minutes left and without her, UJ struggled to get their offense going. Maybe it was nerves but shots that usually went in were falling short and the passes were not hitting their intended targets. Whenever UJ threatened to make a run, VUT would rally and make their own run. In the end both teams cancelled each other out with 16 points each in the quarter which meant that VUT kept their 10 point margin they had going into the fourth quarter. Final score: UJ 59 – 69 VUT

Game notes: Asked about what the main focus of VUT was during the tournament, Zanele Ngwenya-VUT coach said that defence was the main priority and that all his players had a part to play. His strategy against UJ was to go inside and use his posts to accumulate points. UJ have stumbled for the second time in the final and their players seem afraid to succeed.

Vaal University of Technology vs. University of Johannesburg – Men

Before the game started, I had a few words with the UJ men’s coach Simon Badibanga who was disappointed at the way he was told that he would not be coaching the SA students team to Serbia. He felt that as far as the USSA tournament was concerned, he was unhappy with the treatment he was receiving by a sector of the basketball community.

This game was marred by bad refereeing decisions from the first whistle with the indiscipline of some of the VUT players going unpunished. The referees didn’t stamp their authority when they had the opportunity and as the game got closer to the end, the frustration grew from the players and the coaches on the floor and tempers flared. This almost led to an unsavoury moment of madness…

The game started with UJ getting into the swing of things very early. They were capitalising on VUT inefficiency on offense and punishing them with fast breaks and nice open looks. UJ 4 (Thabang Glass) who had a good tournament so far; was having a great game with great mid range shooting and deadly passing. VUT had to deal with UJ 3-2 zone defence and they couldn’t get their shots going from the perimeter while their posts were struggling to get good position inside.

Throughout the game UJ were in the lead but they didn’t build up that huge lead that would enable them to relax. Whenever they looked in control of the situation, they conspired to turn the ball over and leave the door wide open for VUT to make a comeback if there was to be one.

VUT 4 and VUT 7 (Nhlanha and Ayanda) were keeping VUT in the mix with enterprising play and if the posts had come to the party it would have been an interesting final.

Indiscipline in the last quarter by VUT’s (Thabang Kwedi) cost them 6 free throws and 2 Technical fouls and his team couldn’t recover from that. Thabang, a SA national player and VUT player, got into an altercation with the referees and his team’s management after a call made by the referees. This led to players getting off the bench and coaches arguing with the referees, etc…

With no shot clock, UJ played the game at their pace and they never looked like surrendering their lead at any stage.  In the end UJ won with some crucial baskets and passes from their veteran player UJ15 (Thabo Letsebe) who would eventually be named tournament MVP.Final score: UJ 76 – 64 VUT

Game notes: The referees almost lost control of the game and if they had imposed themselves early they could have prevented the incident that took place in the last quarter. UJ have been working towards this for the last 4 years with a number of people working in the background to see this program grow from strength to strength and this victory is the reward for their efforts. UJ coach said that they had set out to confuse the VUT offense by making them believe that their posts were open when they were not. Speaking to UJ captain – Lucky Loate, he said: “We needed other players to step up and be counted because there would be enormous pressure on the point position.” On his views on the tournament, he said that it wasn’t as WOW as the 2008 event in Cape Town but they enjoyed the win.

USSA 2009 All stars in pictures:

USSA 2009 MVPs:

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UJ started like a house on fire and scored 10 unanswered points. Their counterparts UWC couldn’t match their speed and quick transition and when UJ were not running they were running their sets. Given their advantage in height UJ were always going to be a handful. UWC were playing a 2-3 zone defence but somehow it was leaking when the ball movement became too much. The UWC guards (9 and 7) were probably the best combination of the tournament and they were causing problems for the joburg team as soon as they got their game going. They were shooting well from beyond the arc but UJ 7 was also having a great shooting game. At half time the score was 44 – 27 in favour of UJ.After the interval, UJ came out more aggressive on defence and UWC were making plenty of turnovers. UJ stayed in their zone defence almost for 3 quarters of the game and as soon as they switched it to a press, UWC panicked a little and turned the ball over even more. By the end of the 3^rd quarter, UJ had a 28 point lead and they started the fourth with most of their 2^nd unit players. Despite putting on a valiant effort throughout, UWC couldn’t match the talent shown by the UJ boys and they went down by a big margin.

UWC have been the surprise package of the tournament as far as the men are concerned and their composure and great commitment was the highlight of the tournament. They were led by a very good point guard in Denwin Jones but the youngsters were not fazed by the much older opponents they face. Final score: UJ 83 – 54 UWC

Wits University vs. Vaal University of Technology – Ladies

With half of the 1^st quarter gone, Wits Ladies were hanging in there with a score of 5 – 6 to VUT. Then all of a sudden VUT cranked up their defence and went on a 6 – 0 run by stealing the ball over and over. By the end of the 1^st quarter Wits were down by 10 and their lack of recognised ball handler was causing their coach plenty of headaches. VUT – 9 (Requelh Molema) was on point on defence and Wits players were struggling to get past her. The VUT Zim ladies were controlling the boards and trying to keep Wits 15 (Phumla) quiet with great man on man defence.

Despite the fact that Wits were playing great defence, they didn’t have a consistent transition offence and with all the turnovers they were making it was always going to be an uphill battle. Wits 14 (Phumla) and Wits 15 (Cassidy) were trying to keep them in the game with great rebounds on both ends but it was very hard for them to sustain it throughout the 40min. At half time the score was 15 – 32 to VUT.

After half time, VUT increased their intensity on defence and stretched the lead. With Wits running out of players to make a sustained comeback the lead ballooned and you could see no way back for ladies from the Witwatersrand University. In the end VUT won by 28 points.

Despite going out at this stage of the tournament, The Wits ladies proved that they can be the best out there and their team effort against UJ was commandable, now they have to do it on a consistent level to be recognised as another powerhouse in ladies basketball. Final score: Wits 43 – 69 VUT

Vaal University of Technology vs. Cape University of Technology – Men

VUT came into this came as overwhelming favourites but they were quickly brought to earth by an aggressive and committed effort from the Cape boys. This was a close game throughout and until VUT sorted out their offense, CPUT were in it.

VUT started the game with the wrong strategy by playing a lot of balls through their guards and CPUT were happy to give them the perimeter. VUTs Nhlanla, Ayanda and Christian were not having a great game up top but they were still causing problems with their speed in transition.

CPUT had three players that were troubling VUT on both ends of the floor, Vincent Ntunja (CPUT 13), CPUT 6 and CPUT 8 who was causing Thabang Kwedi from Vaal all kinds of problems. They were playing with no fear and with a lot of structure when the break wasn’t on. Speaking to Vincent after the game, he said: “We were trying to play slowly because Vaal like teams to play at a fast tempo because it suits their style.”

With 3 min to go it was a 6 point affair and then VUT realised that if they went to the post they could score easy buckets with the Likes of Thabang, Eric and Chief. So after a quick time out and some instructions from the coaches, VUT came out with that mindset and ended up winning the game through point in the paint. Final score: VUT 84 – 75 CPUT.

University of Pretoria vs. University of Johannesburg – Ladies

This was a rematch of the 2008 USSA final at UCT in the Western Cape with a few distinct additions to the line up on both teams. UJ started with a high tempo and Tuks were close throughout the 1^st quarter. Ellen Mothlawse(UJ 10) was causing all sorts of problems for the Tuks defence with her great passing in the lane and her scoring. It was a bit of a surprise to see, Lungile on the court because she was nursing a twisted ankle from day 1 of the tournament.

Tuks were outhustling UJ in the post and Taki Mfamadi (Tuks 10) was making impossible baskets on offense with two or even 3 players on her. UJ went for a full court man-to-man in the 2^nd quarter and despite getting free a few times, Tuks started making unnecessary turnovers and the score started go away from them.

UJ were in full flow and they were running their transition very well and capitalising on the hosts’ mistakes on offense. With UJ playing a great game throughout it was hard to find a fault in their game. Tuks ladies must be commanded for their fight for the 40 minutes and all their posts had an amazing game. Their defence and intensity was much better in this game.

After defeating the defending champions, it looked like UJ would go on and win the tournament. It was a great team effort and their guard play and defence was very good throughout this semi-final.

Tuks lost the game but they can take great heart from their performance in this semi-final. They will comeback stronger next year. Final score: UJ 74 – 45 Tuks

Game notes: The semis were interesting in that VUT didn’t get an easy passage to the final but were made to work hard for their spot in the final. UJ and VUT ladies teams had a foot in the final by the time they got to half time while the UJ men made easy work of UWC who didn’t have a strong bench. These semi-final games were played in great spirit with the right intensity. The referees in most of these games were shocking to say the least and there was an instance where the coaches even went to have discussions with them.

Article by Victor Shakineza

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Before all that took place, Wits men were about to cause another upset by leading Vaal University of Technology (VUT) for 3 quarters until Thabang Kwedi (VUT) made a “Paul Pierce” entrance in the game and took the game away in the last 6 minutes. In other male games, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) defeated the hosts Tuks by 23 points in what seemed like a formality. They really look like champions elect, let’s hope they don’t underestimate any opposition and continue playing in the composed manner. They are en route to meet VUT in the final if they keep up their winning streak.

In a match that would decide who would go to the finals, CUT men played CPUT and at half time CPUT were up making them the strong favourites to play VUT in the semis. In the other semis it looks like UJ will end up playing UWC.

For the ladies, the final four will probably look like this: Tuks, UJ, VUT and either Wits/University of Limpopo.

There has been some amazing buzzer beating shots from half way and some great dunks so far so if you have time come by and savour the entertainment on show. There is even Champion merchandise up on sale at the makeshift kiosk if you want to get some basketball gear.

 Article by Victor Shakineza

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• USSA 2009 Day 2

What a day of upsets and drama…Before I mention the basketball, it seems that USSA and SABC Slamdunk have reached an agreement and the cameras have started rolling again on day 2. The fans came in drips and drabs but they had good entertainment throughout with some key battles.

Ok straight to the dramatic games that produced exciting results. The hosts, The University of Pretoria (TUKS), lost both their games with the men’s team losing to last second free throws from Cape University of Technology (CPUT) guard Vincent Ntunja, while the ladies went down to Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in a match that was won in the first half. Tuks men had an 11 point lead and blew it in the last 2 minutes to lose the game on turnovers, bad calls and good shooting from CPUT guards. VUT ladies made their statement early against the defending champions by going on a run early on and in the end Tuks couldn’t catch up. The match was littered with plenty of mistakes and turnovers from the host but credit must be given to VUT who played great defense throughout. They hurried Tuks into mistakes and their PG controlled the game with some great decisions.The biggest upset of the day must go to the Wits Ladies who defeated the favourites, The University of Johannesburg, UJ in a match that had plenty of lead changes. Wits fought with heart and great team spirit and amazing leadership from their national player, Phumla Sathula (Wits 15). They were in UJ’s face from the first whistle and despite a disappointing third quarter, they picked up their game in the fourth to win by 3 points and the victory felt so much sweeter because it was a team effort. UJ didn’t step up to the plate when they had to and some of their players will have to do some introspection if they are to snatch the title from the University of Pretoria. The less said about the officiating throughout the tournament the better.

VUT men were given a run for their money by University of Western Cape (UWC) but in the end, when VUT figured that they were a big threat inside and they started getting better scoring opportunities. UWC will rattle a few feathers in this tournament so teams better be warned because they show great poise for a very young team. University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN) look like a shadow of themselves and the energy they showed in last year’s tournament has all but disappeared; they were humbled by UJ in their earlier game. The UJ boys look like they mean business and they are strong favourites to win it, they play Tuks at 11 on day 3. In the last game of the day, VUT took Durban University of Technology (DUT) to the cleaners and in the end it was a 15+ points victory.

The ladies games have gone according to strength and so far it looks like it will be a Gauteng semi final showdown with VUT, Tuks, UJ and Wits making up the numbers. The Cinderella team this year will be the Wits ladies who seem to have found a purpose and belief to trouble other teams.

Please check out the latest schedule here:

USSA 2009 latest fixture

Article by Victor Shakineza, pictures courtesy of Julia Harms

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The CUT ladies team also had some tragic news to deal with following the passing of one of their teammates last week but they managed to make the trip and honour her memory.

Despite all the sad news, the event was officially opened by the USSA executive with all the teams and officials gathered at the LC de Villiers indoor in the afternoon of the first day. There was an interesting twist to the days proceedings with the SABC Slam dunk and Supersport refused permission to film the USSA without proper accreditation and procedures followed…

As far as the games go, all the big guns came through the 1^st day unscathed with the hosts University of Pretoria (UP) winning their games in the men and ladies section. The University of Johannesburg also had an easy time of it by blowing out their opponents by 60+ points and using their games to prepare for the tougher competition ahead. Vaal University of Technology (VUT) also made easy work of their opponents confirming them as favourites for the tournament in both divisions. University of Western Cape (UWC) men also had a great start to the tournament by winning their games and showing great maturity on the floor by executing superbly, they could be the surprise package of the tournament. Durban University of Technology (DUT) could also cause a few upsets during the tournament but their lack of height might hamper their progress. Teams like North West and Rhodes look a bit out of depth but maybe it’s the lack of proper basketball that is putting them at a disadvantage. University of Limpopo (UL) look like they have a ladies team that could compete with the big guns from Gauteng but their men’s team looks weak and they were easily beaten by UJ. University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN) have great shooters and a good spirit but they are in a tough pool so they might not come out of there to make the semis. University of Cape Town (UCT) are in their rebuilding process and are not expected to go very far in this year’s event with this being their first experience. University of Witwatersrand (Wits) are a young team and some of their decision making is still raw but their ladies team will be the team to watch out for. Port Elizabeth College (PE college) came to the tournament with a limited number of players so they will struggle to compete with the other teams will deeper benches.

There were dunks galore and great on the court entertainment and the night was capped off with a TUKS player posterizing a UKZN player to bring the day’s proceedings to an end…

More to follow with results…

Article by Victor Shakineza

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• USSA 2009 Final
• USSA 2009 Semi-finals
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