ANU Wolfpacks rue missed chances in narrow defeat to Umoja

Africa Nazarene University (ANU) Wolfpacks suffered a painful 73-71 loss to Umoja in a tightly contested National Men’s Basketball Premier League clash at Nyayo Gymnasium on Sunday.

Despite a strong start, ANU lost momentum in the second quarter, allowing Umoja to take control of the game.

Head coach Michael Oluoch admitted his side switched off at a crucial moment.

“It was a tough game. We started well, but in the second quarter we relaxed a bit, and that allowed our opponents to go on a run. We responded strongly and came back to play much better,” he said.

Oluoch pointed to missed free throws and unnecessary fouls as the key factors behind the narrow defeat, noting the team must improve its conversion rate going forward.

“Our biggest challenge was missing free throws and committing fouls against a very competitive opponent. We need to improve on our free-throw conversion going forward,” he added.

The Wolfpacks mounted a spirited comeback and came within a single basket of victory, but ultimately fell short in a game decided by fine margins.

“The boys played really well, and it’s just bad luck losing by one basket, it’s painful. But we’ll correct the issues with our free throws and keep going. The guys are ready to fight another day.”

Despite the loss, ANU showed resilience and promise, pushing Umoja all the way in an entertaining contest.

ANU currently sit bottom of the standings with five points from three matches, while Umoja climb to second place with 11 points after six games.