University of Cape-Coast (UCC) lost out in a quarter final place in the 2016 Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges (UPAC) Basketball Championship following a 46-49 loss to Takoradi Polytechnic in Zone E qualifiers held at the former’s basketball court.
UCC’s loss and Takoradi Polytechnic’s win is the latest in a long line of home side’s that have failed to qualify out of respective zones in the ongoing Championship. University of Energy and Natural Resources is the only home side to make it to the next round of the competition thus far.
The third edition of the UPAC Championship, headlined by leading deodorant maker Rexona, has had University of Development Studies (UDS)-Tamale, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Takoradi Polytechnic qualify ahead of host institutions in the preliminary stages.
In Zone B, hosts Tamale Polytechnic failed miserably in their attempt to qualify out of the group as the team got roasted by a pair of 20-24 losses to Wa Polytechnic and eventual winners UDS.
The team’s winless run in the qualifiers will certainly go down as one of the worst performances in the history of the competition. The performance was a bad way to make a debut appearance in Ghana’s biggest tertiary basketball tournament.
In Zone D, Kumasi Polytechnic’s enthusiastic fans watched in horror as city rivals KNUST made away with the zone’s top spot and the sole ticket to the last eight of the competition. The home side lost 42-31 to KNUST in the final game after sweeping aside Ghana Technology University College and Garden City University College in the opening rounds.
A similar scene happened in Ghana’s Central regional capital, Cape-Coast as Takoradi Polytechnic journeyed east to snatch a hard fought win from host institution, UCC.
Unlike Kumasi Polyetchnic who also missed out on qualification but got compensated with a Most Valuable Player award to Guard Kelvin Sowah Kumah, UCC missed out on seeing any member from its’ roster mount the podium.
Qualifiers for the next round continue Friday April 1 at Accra Polytechnic with the homeside going into the games as defending champions.
The 2016 UPAC Championship is headlined by Rexona, supported by MTN, CAL Bank and Fanyogo in partnership with Basketballghana.com, TV3, YFM and Ghana Sports Newspaper.
