Cadets topple Rebels to reach Heroes Cup last four
The biggest upset of the Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) Heroes Cup quarter-finals came in the final game, when Division One side Unam Cadets backed up their talk by toppling Premier League giants Unam Rebels 88-81 on Sunday evening.
Following their 97-70 loss to Unam Wolves in their final group-stage game on Saturday, Cadets’ twin towers Eddy Silver Hausiku (#5) and Zion Nicol-Wilson (#6) promised redemption against Rebels.
A vocal Nicol-Wilson made their intentions clear, declaring that “the best team in D1 [Division One] is coming for Rebels.”
Hausiku had posted a monster double-double of a game-high 31 points and 20 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards, despite the defeat to Wolves.
The scale of Cadets’ task was further underlined by Rebels’ 64-60 victory over Wolves in their final KBA regular-season match earlier this month.
Rebels landed the first punch and opened the largest lead either side would enjoy all evening at seven points, taking the first quarter 21-14.
Cadets answered by winning the second quarter 22-16 to trim the half-time deficit to 37-36, before producing their most productive period after the break. They outscored Rebels 30-23 in the third quarter to turn the game around and take a 66-60 lead.
Rebels then counterpunched with an 11-0 scoring run to overturn the six-point deficit and move 71-66 ahead. By the midway point of the final quarter, the teams were locked at 73-73.
The final five minutes proved crucial for the youthful Cadets, who rose to the occasion and survived Rebels’ pressure to outscore them 15-8 from 73-all and close out the match as 88-81 winners.
Cadets’ upset was built on their dominance on the glass, interior production and greater depth.
The eventual winners outrebounded Rebels 73-46, including a commanding 27-13 advantage on the offensive glass, which helped them win the second-chance battle 18-10.
They also outscored Rebels 58-50 in the paint and 42-35 on the fast break. Their work on the boards helped Cadets generate 90 field-goal attempts to Rebels’ 85 and offset a costly turnover count.
Turnovers nearly prove costly
Cadets’ superiority on the glass and 21-2 advantage in bench scoring proved enough to overcome a serious 36-turnover problem.
They committed nine more turnovers than Rebels, who punished those mistakes with 36 points off turnovers compared with Cadets’ 27. Rebels also won the steals battle 25-14.
King Dalmeida (#2) embodied Cadets’ advantage in depth, contributing 13 points off the bench, the third-highest scoring return for his side.
Rebels, meanwhile, had the game’s outstanding individual scorer in Peter Parker (#7), who accounted for more than half of their points with a game-high 41.
Parker repeatedly found space around the basket and punished Cadets inside, carrying Rebels’ offence while playing the full 40 minutes.
He shot an efficient 18-of-29 from the field, including 15-of-19 on two-point attempts, while also recording nine steals and a game-high efficiency rating of 38.
However, apart from Parker and another strong offensive showing from Sefelinho Simfukwe (#8), who contributed 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and six steals, Rebels struggled to find consistent scoring elsewhere.
The duo combined for 63 of Rebels’ 81 points, leaving the rest of the team with just 18.
Their perimeter shooting compounded the problem, with Rebels going only 5-of-28 from beyond the arc. They also converted just 12-of-24 free throws, missing 12 attempts from the line in a game decided by seven points.
Cadets’ twin towers once again delivered with double-doubles. Nicol-Wilson finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Hausiku added 17 points and a game-high 21 boards.
The pair also combined for all six of Cadets’ blocks, with Hausiku rejecting five shots and Nicol-Wilson adding one.
Ready to cause another upset
Reflecting on their achievement, Nicol-Wilson did not shy away from Cadets’ ambition to show the Premier League sides that “the so-called underdogs” can punch above their weight.
The victory sets them up for a semi-final against Premier League side Nust Gladiators this Sunday.
“If you come to this game expecting us to be underdogs, we’re going to show you what we can do. My message to Gladiators is the same as that of Rebels. A big shout-out to our coach, Coach [Melusi] Linda. He’s the best coach in Namibia!”
Hausiku said: “All glory to God for helping us to this win.”
The other men’s semi-final will see QBC face Unam Wolves. QBC routed Nust Reapers 107-51 last weekend to book their place in the last four, while Wolves advanced after proving too strong for Unam Penguins in a 75-61 victory.
Gladiators reached the semi-finals after beating Unam Wolves II 76-62.
In the women’s competition, Nust Dodgers ground out a 46-34 quarter-final victory over KBSL All-Star to set up a semi-final against Unam Phoenix, while Ongos Shooting Stars will face BAS Falcons in the other last-four encounter.
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