UJ Orange Wave crowned USSA Basketball 3×3 champions
The team gave a spirited performance throughout the championships.
University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Senior Men’s Basketball 3×3 Team sealed off 2023 with a great win through their performance at the Basketball 3×3 Championship in Makhanda, Eastern Cape.
Popularly known as the Orange Wave, the four-player team won all their six games to clinch the USSA Basketball 3×3 gold medal and trophy with spirited performances from start to finish. Their female counterparts, the UJ Galaxy, carried the same energy on court, finishing in second position after narrowly losing the final to the University of Pretoria by 4 points in the final, 18-14 scoreline.
The UJ Galaxy won four of their six matches, starting with Walter Sisulu University (21-07), then University of Limpopo (21-04), and Rhodes University (21-12). The Galaxy lost twice to UP-Tuks with a 13-14 in the group stage and 18-14 in the final.
On the other hand, the UJ Orange Wave aimed to rectify their 2022 mistakes after they lost to Stellenbosch in the final. Captain, Nino Dim, together with fellow teammates Peace Famodimu, Rabbi Belolo, and Sbongakonke Mkhwanazi gave UJ the edge in winning the championship over the other universities that competed in the championship.
The Orange Wave opened their first match with a 19-11 win over University of Limpopo, followed by a 21-14 over University of Pretoria, 22-09 against Walter Sisulu University, 21-14 over hosts Rhodes University, 21-07 against University of Limpopo in the semifinal and 19-09 over Rhodes in the final.
“We came here to make a statement from the first day. I’m proud of the guys – they showed confidence in their performances. Thanks to the fans and the UJ teams for the support. I’m also proud of the UJ Galaxy for reaching the final, they did their best to win a silver medal,” said Dim.
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