Livingstone is the FUBA Division 1 Champion of 2023. Livingstone dominated JT Jaguars in the tie breaking game five to win 65-53. The FUBA Division 1 Finals are a best of five series that Livingstone won 3-2. Despite winning game one in overtime, Livingstone lost game two and three marginally. Jaguars will forever wonder how they smoked game four when they led by up 16 points in the fourth quarter only for Livingstone to win 69-67. When Livingstone had turned that corner of overcoming a 16 point deficit in the fourth quarter of game four, the gap between the possible and the aspirational had narrowed significantly, they came into game five very confident and assertive in exact contrast to the Jaguars who’d gotten very cautious and perhaps dampened by the game four loss.
Livingstone talisman Bismarck Omoya was awarded the season’s Most Valuable Player award with his season tally of 13.4 points per game , 8.4 rebounds per game and 5.3 steals per game while shooting 47.7 percent in the 2FG range. Omoya won his second MVP award in three years having been voted MVP while Livingstone won the Division 2 Championship in 2021. Oscar Byomuhangi, the Livingstone pointguard was named the FUBA Division 1 Point Guard of the year.
“The guys worked so hard, we have won two championships in three years. This feels great.” – Ahmed Pai Kamoga, the Livingstone Patron said after their championship game.
The NBL will offer yet another opportunity for these two teams to bolster their now brewed rivalry. The wait may not be very long since the new season is tipped to start in January of 2024. Until then, both teams must make the desirable adjustments for coping in the NBL. It’s on record that over 90 percent of teams that earn qualification to the NBL from Division 1 , get relegated back within their first season.
By Cucu Brian | brian@basketball256.net | Twitter: @Cucubrian
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