The Lady Jaguars lost control in the third quarter as the UCU Lady Canons capitalized on a crucial momentum shift to take a 2–0 lead in the WNBL Finals series.

1. We Don’t Do This Sh*t on Purpose. I Promise You, We Don’t.

The numbers show that the Lady Jaguars did improve in several areas. The Jaguars committed just 10 turnovers, compared to UCU’s 23. They also improved their three-point output, making five threes, although they shot just 13% from beyond the arc. UCU also made five three-pointers but converted at a slightly better rate.

From the free-throw line, the Jaguars went 16-for-25 (64%), while UCU shot the same 64%, going 24-for-37. So, it cannot be said that the Lady Jaguars lacked energy or effort. They brought the fight.

But where did the difference come from?

2. The Rebounding Battle

This was one of the biggest differences between the two sides. UCU outrebounded the Jaguars by 10, and those extra possessions proved costly, particularly when the Jaguars were relying heavily on their outside shooting.

Matrina Anyango was exceptional on the glass, finishing with 19 rebounds—the same number combined by Aber Bridget, Sarah Ageno and Mercy Batamuliza.

Sylvia Nantongo also contributed nine rebounds, giving UCU another major advantage in controlling possessions.

3. Sylvia Nantongo Changed the Game

Nantongo became a major problem in the third quarter, sparking a 20–12 run that completely shifted the momentum in UCU’s favour.

The Jaguars had taken a lead into halftime, but Nantongo immediately responded by personally igniting a 7–0 run that put the Canons back in front.

She scored 14 points in the third quarter alone, finishing the game with 24 points and nine rebounds.

For the Lady Jaguars, Brenda Kayaga led the scoring with 15 points. She is still searching for her rhythm from beyond the arc and will need to find it in Game 3.

Beyond Brenda, however, the rest of the Jaguars’ scoring came in single digits, meaning there simply wasn’t enough offensive support when UCU made its run.

Sandra Wangeshi, Mambo Nabbosa and Mercy Batamuliza all finished with 8 points, while Shakira, Sarah Ageno, Aziida and Mary Priscilla each finished with 5 points.

The Lady Jaguars need to stay locked in and be prepared for any hot hand that emerges from the Canons. I mean, this team seems to have plenty of villains. Just when Nakituuka is silenced, another villain in the name of Nantongo emerges.

It’s 2–0, but it’s far from over. Game 3 is on Wednesday 26th at Lugogo.