Mark Were was the X-Factor as the JT Jaguars Edged the KCCA Panthers in Their Seasonal Debut

Mark Were finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and an assist, while Abraham Chol delivered 11 points and 12 rebounds as the JT Jaguars edged the KCCA Panthers 51–49 on Saturday.

Sifuma Peter added 10 points and eight rebounds, and Ian Duncan chipped in nine points and four boards as the Jaguars secured their first home win of the season. For Chol, it marked his first double-double of the campaign—an early sign of what could be a productive year in the paint.

For much of the final quarter, the Panthers appeared to have the game under control. With just over three minutes remaining, Stanley Mugerwa’s layup pushed KCCA ahead 47–39, giving the visitors breathing room and momentum.

Then the tone shifted.

The Jaguars answered with a decisive 7–0 run, sparked by Were at the exact moment it mattered most. He knocked down a three-pointer while drawing contact to complete a four-point play, then later earned another trip to the free-throw line after being fouled beyond the arc. “At that moment, I’d already had a rough shooting night,” Were said. “But the defender had his hands down, and I thought to myself, why not shoot the basketball?” He added “ the fact that KCCA plays much of a contact game, I had to exploit that in order to reduce the deficit for either a four point play or a foul from the three incase it missed”

The surge trimmed the deficit to three at 49–46 and swung belief back toward the home bench.

With one minute remaining, Stephen Otoa was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul after tripping Duncan in transition. Duncan split the free throws, and the Jaguars responded with disciplined defense, forcing a Panthers turnover that led to a Chol layup to tie the game at 49 with 30 seconds on the clock.

KCCA called a timeout to advance the ball, and Mugerwa was fouled on a driving attempt, but he missed both free throws. Were tracked down the offensive rebound and pushed the ball forward, setting up Chuma to finish the final play and seal a dramatic 51–49 victory for the Jaguars.

 Jaguars return to action on Wednesday at the Jaguars’ Den, where they will host the Victoria Crocs in a matchup that also marks the return of former JT player Aaron Eboyu, now suiting up for the visitors.