Gladiators flip script against Rebels

Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) Gladiators stunned University of Namibia (Unam) Rebels in their return fixture, turning a 12-point loss into a 14-point win at Unam Gym Hall on Monday.

The Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) premier league fixture saw Gladiators rewrite the script after suffering an 88-76 loss to Rebels in March, bouncing back to upset them with a statement 66-52 victory.

Rebels started strongly with the game’s first major run, an 11-0 burst, and opened a 12-point lead at 14-2, which helped them take the first quarter 16-6.

Gladiators started working their way back into the game in the second quarter, cutting a 10-point deficit to one point at halftime, with Rebels leading 26-25.

They turned their fortunes around early in the third quarter and never looked back, taking the third quarter 19-11 and the fourth 22-15.

After leading for 20:06, Rebels let the game slip as a hungry, younger Gladiators side wore them down. Despite only leading for 18:38, Gladiators did more damage once they got in front, with their biggest lead being the final 14-point margin.

Gladiators bench depth

Gladiators’ comeback was built on bench production, as coach Shilongo Nekundi had five players to call on from his reserve unit, compared to coach Nigel Mubita’s two-player bench.

In the end, depth made all the difference, with Gladiators’ bench outscoring Rebels’ reserves 35-4.

Their dominance did not end there, as they also controlled the glass to win the rebounding battle 71-50, including 26 offensive boards, which gave them extra possessions and kept pressure on Rebels’ defence.

Most of Gladiators’ baskets came from team play, as they recorded 24 assists on 29 made field goals, compared to Rebels’ 12 assists on 18 made field goals.

Gladiators were also better in the paint and in transition, winning the effort and pressure areas with more points in the paint (42-30), fast-break points (15-10) and points from turnovers (24-15).

Rebels’ early pressure worked only for a while. They also got to the free-throw line far more often, attempting 33 free throws to Gladiators’ seven after drawing 26 fouls, but failed to cash in as they missed 19 free throws in a game they lost by 14 points.

Rebels’ Peter Parker Mainza (#7) poured in a game-high 22 points, along with four assists, two steals and 11 fouls drawn, to keep his side alive in the contest.

Worn down by younger team

Mainza admitted the younger Gladiators side eventually wore them down in the third quarter.

“Being the older team, our legs eventually gave up in the end and the one-month break we had [did more harm to our form than good]. It was difficult for us to practise during the break, as we were attending to our responsibilities as the older side,” he said.

He also praised Gladiators for being the better side on the day. Regarding his game-high 22 points despite his opponents’ pressure, he said it came down to capitalising on chances and experience.

“A lot of the points [10] came from the line, so I think I capitalised on fouls. We’re going to regroup after this result. It’s still a long season with plenty of games to go, so we’re going to practise harder and come back stronger,” he said.

Rebels captain Mike Mukumbutaa (#10) was their best all-round player with a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds, while also adding seven steals, three assists and 11 fouls drawn.

For Gladiators, Prince Katalika (#9) led with a team-high 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block, further posting one of his side’s better efficiency ratings with 14.

Ambrose Mutengwa (#11) came off the bench to chip in with 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks, while making half of the team’s six three-pointers.

Division standings

The result saw Gladiators retain sixth place with nine points after seven games, with Rebels sitting fourth, level on 10 points with Afro Stars in third and Unam Penguins in fifth.

Stars hold a superior score difference of +7, compared to Rebels’ -10 and Penguins’ -43.

Defending champions Quality Basketball Club (QBC) remain top, level on 13 points with Unam Wolves in second place after seven matches, but are still favoured by their head-to-head advantage after beating Wolves 83-72 in March.

The next premier league matches will be held tomorrow at Unam Gym Hall. The round did not feature matches in the women’s premier league, but they are on the schedule for Thursday.

The first division featured an eight-game programme on Friday, Sunday and Monday, with more games slated for Thursday.

The weekend saw QBC II beat Afro Stars II 72-61 before falling 65-46 to Unam Cadets, while Leopards beat Team Allies 69-56 and Afro Stars II 55-53.

Nust Reapers beat Plaza Warriors 61-40, Unam Pacers edged Team Allies 80-76, Unam Wolves II dominated Unam Knights 92-66, and Unam Cadets beat Leopards 50-42.

The top three teams are Cadets, Wolves II and Pacers.

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