Heavyweights Accra Polytechnic , Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST) and University of Ghana (UG) recorded big wins on the opening day of the 2016 Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges (UPAC) Basketball Championship quarter finals held at the former’s basketball court.
Day two of quarter final games, semi finals and finals will be played at the University of Ghana on Friday April 15 and April 16.
The host who double as defending champions, overwhelmed debutants Valley View University by romping to an emphatic 81-22 victory. The game was over even before the second quarter began as the team led 31-4 at the end of the first quarter.
KNUST, likewise recorded a huge win over debutants University of Energy and Natural Resources by winning 63-38 in the second game of Group B. The Zone D Champions arrived in the capital without veteran Guard Kwame Akrasi who is nursing an ankle injury. However, the team didn’t have to push too hard as their opponents never looked like the team that dazzled in Zone C qualifiers.
Reigning Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) Basketball Champions UG walloped fellow Legon-based side Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) 53-29 in Group A’s opening game. Talk of how
GIMPA’s veteran players would adjust to the young, springy lads in UG and this proved rightly so as GIMPA was impressive in the early parts of the game but ebbed out as the game wore on.
The shock result of the day happened in the very first game where Takoradi Polytechnic piped Marshalls University College 59-57. Marshalls who entered the last eight on the back of a close loss to UG in the preliminary qualifiers and a winning run in the PUSAG (Private Universities Students Association Games) Basketball competition.
Marshalls Achilles heel-free throws came back to haunt them once again as missed chances from the charity stripe preserved Takoradi Polytechnic’s slim lead.
The 2016 UPAC Championship is headlined by Rexona, supported by MTN, CAL Bank and Fanyogo in partnership with Basketballghana.com, Y FM, TV3 and Ghana Sports Newspaper.
Good job to A poly boys, we still behind u guys.