City Oilers booked their place in the National Basketball League Finals after completing a sweep over Rezlife Saints in a thrilling semifinal series.
The Oilers won game three 70-67 on Friday to seal a 3-0 victory in the best-of-five semifinals and return to the championship series.
Trailing 2-0, Rezlife Saints needed nothing short of a win to keep their season alive and started strongly after recovering from an 18-21 first-quarter deficit.
The Saints turned the game around in the second quarter, taking a commanding 38-28 lead at halftime.
However, they failed to maintain their momentum as City Oilers fought back to level the game at 52-52 heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter produced a tense back-and-forth contest, with neither side willing to give an inch. With seconds remaining, Jonathan Komagum converted two free throws to put Oilers ahead 68-67, but Rezlife still had an opportunity to snatch victory.
A costly turnover by Rin Tueny Mabor allowed Germaine Roebuck to steal possession and score an easy layup, extending Oilers’ advantage.
Rezlife pushed for a late comeback, but Michael Otieno missed two potential game-tying three-pointers in the closing seconds as Oilers held on for the win.
Roebuck led all scorers with 22 points for City Oilers, who played without Patrick Rembert and later lost Fayed Bbaale to injury.
Komagum contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, while Joel Kayiira also recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Bbaale added 11 points before his injury.
For Rezlife Saints, Chris Omanye and Edrine Ekau scored 15 points each, while Otieno finished with 10 points.
The intense encounter was also marked by several controversial officiating calls, with match officials appearing to use video review at one point during the game.
City Oilers will now face Nam Blazers in a blockbuster final, a repeat of last year’s championship series where the Blazers ended Oilers’ decade-long dominance.
For Rezlife Saints, the season ends with plenty of credit after reaching the semifinals for the first time in club history.
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