Ongos cruise past Dodgers to go second

Ongos Shooting Stars completed a season double over Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) Dodgers in the Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) women’s premier league last weekend, routing them 87-42 in their second meeting.

Played at the University of Namibia (Unam) Gym Hall in the capital, the statement victory saw Ongos, who had already beaten Dodgers 75-60 in March, produce a far more ruthless performance as they stretched the winning margin from 15 points to 45.

The victors used defensive pressure and offensive rebounding to cruise past Dodgers and climb into second place, level on nine points with Unam Phoenix.

However, the league leaders’ 85-48 demolition of Ongos in March still weighs heavily in the standings, as Phoenix hold a superior score differential of +128 to Ongos’ +93.

Ongos’ latest showing saw them press, force turnovers, dominate the offensive glass and create extra possessions to punish their opponents in the paint.

Ongos dominance

That dominance translated into Ongos leading for 37:24 of the 40 minutes, while taking every quarter 23-11, 26-15, 22-9 and 16-7. Dodgers only led 3-0 for 12 seconds.

Ongos’ pressure forced Dodgers into 40 turnovers, as they struggled to settle and build rhythm on offence. The Shooting Stars turned that into 29 steals and 33 points from turnovers.

They also won the boards 82-61, including a dominant 44 offensive rebounds, which helped them score 26 second-chance points compared to Dodgers’ nine.

Ongos also outscored Dodgers 48-32 in the paint, repeatedly getting to the rim, crashing the glass and scoring through repeat possessions.

Their depth was one of the deciding factors, as their bench outscored Dodgers’ reserves 37-12. That was largely driven by Petrina Aron (#3), who came off the bench to score a match-high 25 points in 20:13.

Impact scorer

Aron was Ongos’ clearest impact scorer, shooting 10/21 from the field, including 4/10 from beyond the arc. She made all four of Ongos’ three-pointers in the game and added three assists and three steals.

Reflecting on the match, she said the victory felt good, as her side returned with far more intensity than in their first meeting with Dodgers.

“I loved how we played as a team. [The girls were] hungrier than the opponents today. We were passing a lot, something we don’t usually do. Whoever scored the basket did it for the entire squad,” she said.

She welcomed the move into second place on the log, saying it is a positive step towards their main goal of topping the standings.

“We have worked hard [for this victory], but we have more work to do to be first in the league. Nonetheless, this is a good achievement, and we’re celebrating every victory on the way. This win especially feels personal because it’s for my daughter at home,” she said.

Dodgers struggle with ball security

What hurt Dodgers most was ball security. Their 40 turnovers gave Ongos too many live-ball chances and prevented them from establishing rhythm on offence. Dodgers shot only 18/73 from the field, including 2/17 from three-point range.

They showed some resistance defensively with 10 blocks, but that alone was not enough to keep them in the contest, especially after allowing Ongos 44 offensive rebounds and 109 field-goal attempts.

For all their dominance, Ongos did not shoot the lights out. They went 33/109 from the field, 4/29 from three-point range and 17/36 from the free-throw line. Their advantage came through pressure, rebounding and volume of possessions.

Fiina Namwaapo (#8) produced the best all-round efficiency line for Ongos, finishing with 21 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 7/10 from the field and 7/10 from the free-throw line. She also added three steals and posted a game-high efficiency rating of 32.

Hampered by injuries

Dodgers shooting guard and vice captain Lustelle Deborah Elenga (#9) was their most productive player and the only one in double figures. She scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and added five assists, two steals and three blocks.

Reflecting on her team’s performance, she said injuries forced the side to field several new players, which made the contest more difficult.

“It was a very tough game, with half of the team injured. We tried to push through those injuries, but luck wasn’t on our side,” said Elenga.

“[We ended up] making a lot of mistakes. Hopefully, we’re going to work on those mistakes and do better next time. We have a relatively new team of students and players who have only picked up basketball [in recent years].”

Maria Hashikutuva (#11) had a notable defensive cameo, grabbing seven rebounds, making two steals and recording five blocks in only 12:21.

Other matches

The round did not feature any men’s premier league matches.

In the first division, log leaders Unam Wolves II routed Plaza Warriors 67-25, Team Allies beat Unam Knights 70-65, Unam Cadets beat Unam Pacers 71-65, and Nust Reapers overcame Afro Stars II 63-42.

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