Namuwongo Blazers ended their Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign on a losing note despite securing qualification for the Elite 16.

The Ugandan champions suffered a narrow 81-79 defeat to Burundi’s Urunani in their final game on Sunday at Hoima City Stadium.

The Blazers had already secured a top-two finish and a place in the Elite 16, the final qualification stage for the lucrative Basketball Africa League.

They entered the decisive encounter after victories over Ushindzi of Comoros, COSPN of Madagascar and South Sudan’s Patriots, with top spot still up for grabs against Urunani.

However, the Burundian side edged the closely contested encounter by two points to finish the tournament unbeaten.

The Blazers trailed 29-21 after the opening quarter but responded strongly to take a 45-43 lead into halftime.

Urunani regained control in the third quarter, outscoring the Ugandans 20-13 to establish a five-point advantage heading into the final period.

The lead changed hands several times in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers ran out of steam in the closing stages as Urunani held on for victory.

Johnathan Jordan led the Blazers with a game-high 25 points, while Frank Nyembo Fataki and Peter Obleng contributed 14 and 12 points respectively.

Mohamme Coulibaly led Urunani with 23 points, supported by Jeffery Tyrone and Chingka Kennedy, who scored 16 and 15 points respectively.

The Blazers will now turn their attention to the Elite 16 tournament, scheduled for next month in Nairobi, Kenya, as they continue their quest to qualify for the Basketball Africa League.