Power hit rock bottom

With 15 seconds left on the game clock in the do or die National Basketball League affair between Dmark Power and Livingstone, Isaac Afidra picked the ball and marched out before the final buzzer.

The result was out of reach and relegation to the Fuba Division One had been confirmed for the five-time champions after yet another horrible outing to end their regular season business.

The 2011 MVP could not wait for the buzzer and the customary handshake between the two opponents at the end of the game.

Having won just six games this season, Power was confirmed as the second team to drop to the lower division after the loss, joining Ndejje Angels who have only recorded three victories all season.

In a game Power had to win with a difference of more than seven points to stand a chance of surviving the knife, they started with a 6-0 run but eventually reminded everyone of the kind of season they have had.

Timothy Odeke’s charges trailed by 12 (30-18) going into the halftime break and despite edging Livingstone in the second half, the damage had been done and the final nail was put in their coffin.

Players go AWOL

Power’s struggles were not helped by the absence of centre Philip Ameny and shooting guard Elvis Mutebi. 

The pair was missing and it was confirmed after the game that they had absconded from duty without informing the team.

Odeke pointed to the character and behaviour of some of the players in the squad as some of the team’s biggest challenges throughout the season.

Ameny is said to have taken offence after he was not fielded in the team’s 81-77 loss to Our Savior a week ago. The two players missed training and eventually failed to turn up for the game on Sunday.

“We didn't want to focus on that. Even without them, we had a chance of winning the game,” Odeke said after the game.

Ameny played a big part in Power’s decent run in the first round, which saw them winning four games but has since been a subject of indiscipline cases. 

It was from that background that he was benched throughout the clash with Our Savior.

What went wrong?

Power’s biggest problem from the start of the season was the lack of numbers. 

Even in games where the team played and competed well, time always came for them to run out of steam and lose the grip down the stretch.

Veterans Afidra and Ameny had to endure heavy minutes in games because there were no options on the bench.

At the start of the second round, Geoffrey Soro, Taariq Powell and Clinton Omondi were added to help steady the ship but all in vain.

“We had a problem with numbers in the first round and I thought that with the additions we made, we would be more competitive but that hasn't happened,” Odeke told this publication.

He added: “I felt like we had some players who did not understand the objective and focussed on themselves, complaining about playing time, coming into games and not performing and basically not managing their outside life well.”

Import Kevin Ogunjimi also flattered to deceive all season and was scoreless in Power’s must-win encounter. 

The Nigerian has averaged five points, two rebounds and one assist. 

Afidra, the most experienced player on the team, has also faced criticism from within, regarding how he goes about the affairs of the club and treats his teammates, something Odeke dismisses.

“Afidra is competitive. He wants to see everyone committed. He’s a straightforward guy and if you don’t understand him, you might be offended. So many people don’t want to hear that but he comes from a place of wanting to see things done right,” Odeke noted.

The veteran has averaged 31 minutes, posting 11 points, six rebounds and three assists.

All the focus will now be on which of the players and coaches stays around to ensure the team returns to the top flight immediately. And whereas Odeke is uncertain of his next move, he knows too well that the lower division is a tough place to be.

“It’s a tough league. You have to get people who are committed to the cause. Management, coaches and the players all have to be on the same page. It will take concerted effort.”

Power’s relegation confirms that, unless Falcons get promoted this year, the league will be without the original Big Three. Warriors is now defunct while Falcons have been oscillating between the NBL and Division One in recent times.