The JT Jaguars got everything they wanted, but not the result they needed. A second-half collapse, shifting matchups, and experience had the Namuwongo blazers steal the win away from the Jaguars
By A.A. Johnson | May 31, 2025, 04:00 EAT
#1 – The First Quarter Belonged to the Jaguars
Round two of the NBL tipped off with a blockbuster clash between the league’s top two teams, drawing a near-capacity crowd to the arena. The Namuwongo Blazers’ fans — who made up roughly 60% of the supporters — are known for their noise, but the opening quarter left them some what quiet.
The JT Jaguars came out firing, opening the game with a commanding 8–0 run that stunned the crowd and set the tone. They extended their lead to 17–9, looking poised to take full control. But Namuwongo found a late spark — Tonny Drilleba and Makiadi drained back-to-back threes, pulling the Blazers within two in the final 1:22 of the quarter. Tong then closed the period with a bucket to make it 19 against 15 points for the blazers.
#2 – The paint was sealed… until it wasn’t
Namuwongo struggled early in the paint. Sifuma, Chuma, and Tong Abde clogged the interior, forcing the Blazers to retool their approach. Orlando-style adjustments followed: more threes, more fast breaks.
The Jaguars held the Blazers to just 22 paint points, but the trade-off came outside the arc. Namuwongo attempted 34 threes, converting 11 (32%) — not a lights-out percentage, but when you consider the volume and timing, it hurt.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars went just 5-of-17 (29%) from deep — a number skewed upward by Aaron Eboyu’s hot hand in the second half.
#3 – Tonny Drilleba turned the second quarter into a shooting clinic
Tonny Drilleba, after only 3 points made in the first quarter, decided to detonate in the second, hitting three straight threes to start the period. He single-handedly erased the Jaguars’ momentum, scoring 12 of his 14 points in a red-hot stretch that flipped the game. The Jaguars had no answer in real time. And while Elijah responded with a late deep shot of his own, the rest of the offense leaned heavily on attacking the rim and getting points from within the paint. Drilleba’s run didn’t just change the score, it broke the rhythm for the jaguars even if they fought to end the quarter 38-41.
#4 – A brutal five-minute drought in the third
This is where things slipped. After entering halftime down just three (38–41), the Jaguars came out flat. Before Duncan Ian Lubwama’s midrange jumper, Ochera and Makiadi had already pushed the Blazers up by eight. After Duncan’s shot, turnovers, missed looks, and stalled execution led to just two points in five minutes.
Namuwongo, on the other hand, pounced on every mistake. They turned live-ball turnovers into fast breaks and created a rhythm the Jaguars struggled to catch up with. Aaron and Ian regardless put up a commendable fight, with 7 and 6 points respectively to end the quarter with a manageable 57–65 deficit.
#05 Namuwongo Decided to rely on what the JT Jaguars didn’t have -Experience
It was now the last quarter of the game, both teams were trading punches, the only difference was the score gap, Namuwongo was ahead by 8 points but still, the jaguars showed no sign of fatigue. The only option for Namuwongo was to defend the ball and maintain the gap preventing the jaguars from coming ahead. So the blazers used their experience to keep their ship afloat winning the quarter by just 2 points. The game ended 71-81 and the blazers won.
#6 – Duncan Ian Lubwama is playing like a star he is Lubwama finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and hit 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. More importantly, he only committed three turnovers, a notable improvement from his Round 1 performances.
His combination of controlled aggression, rim pressure, and improved decision-making made him the engine of the offense. If this version of Duncan sticks, the Jaguars have a legitimate go-to guard.
#7 – Aaron Eboyu had his breakout game
The stat line speaks for itself: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 42% from three. Coming off the bench, Aaron Eboyu gave the Jaguars life when things were starting to slip.
His confidence and speed sliced through Namuwongo’s defense, and he punished them for going under screens. It’s the kind of game that should earn him more minutes — and more responsibility — moving forward.
#8 – The Jaguars are learning how to win the hard way
This wasn’t just a loss. It was a test — one the Jaguars almost passed. Without Moru, with a short bench, and against a team with multiple scoring weapons, they held their own. But the small mistakes added up: empty possessions, slow defensive rotations, and missed reads in crunch time.
Great teams don’t just win — they grow from losses like this. And there’s plenty to grow from here.
#9 – Namuwongo’s gamble worked… this time
The paint was off-limits. Sifuma, Chuma, and Tong Abde made sure of that, holding the Blazers to just 22 points inside. So Namuwongo adjusted — fast breaks and threes became their lifeline.
They launched 34 shots from deep, hitting 11 (32%). Not efficient, but enough. The Jaguars, by comparison, went 5-of-17 (29%), most of them courtesy of Aaron Eboyu in the second half.
Namuwongo bet on volume — and the gamble paid off. If the Jaguars clean up their turnovers and close out shooters with more discipline, this approach becomes far riskier.
They bet on the math — and they hit. But the next encounter may just not offer the same guarantees.
#10 – The Jaguars aren’t sneaking up on anyone anymore
This team has earned the league’s respect. They’ve shown that, at full strength or not, they can compete with top-tier squads. Round one had the team lose to 4 teams and now they have a chance to revenge against those losses. More importantly, the team needs to secure a good seed by the time it’s playoffs so as to beat their goal. Again, I was so proud about how the game went, and we can all just hope for the best come game 2 or round 2.