Africa-Press – Rwanda. Playoffs-Semifinals
Friday, June 20
Game 1
REG Vs UGB 6pm
APR Vs Patriots 8:30 pm
Rwanda’s fiercest rivalry will be unfolding yet again on Friday, June 20, when Patriots and defending champions APR come up against each other in the Game 1 of the Rwanda Basketball League playoffs semifinals.
The pair will rub shoulders at BK Arena which will be hosting the playoffs from the best-of-five series in semi-finals and best-of-seven series in the finals.
In another semi-final match-up, United Generation Basketball (UGB) will be up against Rwanda Energy Group (REG).
As the fans’ eyes turn to the playoffs, Weekend Sport presents to you five things you should know about the derby between APR and Patriots.
1. Head-to-head comparison
This season, the two teams played each other twice, and the results were nearly balanced. In the first round, APR defeated Patriots 68-67courtesy of an Adonis Filer winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
Patriots exacted revenge in the second round with a 71-62 victory where star point guard Elliott Cole starred with a game-high 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Patriots are the only team that beat APR the regular season, bringing their 15-game unbeaten streak to an end.
The army side finished at the top of the table with 31 points, finding themselves pitted in the semifinals against Patriots who finished in fourth place with 26 points, from which they won 10 games and lost six.
APR managed to score 1386 points in the regular season, while the Patriots scored 1269 points.
2. Key players
Elliott Cole, who currently plays for the Patriots, scored 307 points and made 54 three-pointers this season. The 29-year-old has significant experience, having previously played for teams in the United States and Northern Africa.
Standing at 1.80m, Elliott most recently played for Al Ittisalat in the Egyptian Super League.
On the APR side, star center Aliou Diarra scored 272 points and grabbed 159 rebounds. The Malian player was recently named the Most Defensive Player of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), where APR finished third.
3. Trophy history
APR stand out as the most decorated team in Rwandan basketball history with 15 championships. The Patriots have been a dominant force in Rwandan basketball over the past four years, winning back-to-back league titles and representing Rwanda in two consecutive Basketball Africa League (BAL) editions.
APR won the national championship in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2023, and their most recent in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Patriots, established in 2014, reached the playoff finals in their debut season but lost 1–3 to Espoir. Two years later, they won their first national championship.
In 2019, Patriots won their fourth league title after defeating REG BBC in Game 7 of the finals at a sold-out Kigali Arena. Their most recent championship came in 2020, eventually becoming the first Rwandan team to play the Basketball Afrucan league.
4. Tactical battle of coaches
APR coach James Maye Jr. is fresh from guiding the team to a third-place finish in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) in Pretoria. The American coach has arguably been the best coach in the Rwandan basketball league this season. Under his leadership, APR, reigning back-to-back champions, enter the playoffs as clear favorites.
Since his arrival, Maye Jr. has transformed APR into a dominant force, outshining traditional rivals such as the Patriots and REG. This season, he led the team to finish atop the regular season standings.
Sunny Niyomugabo, the youngest and least experienced of the four playoff coaches, is quickly making a name for himself. A former Patriots player and assistant to former coach Henry Mwinuka, Niyomugabo took over head coaching duties this season after Mwinuka’s departure. Despite transitioning from professional basketball only in 2023, he’s already showing promise at the helm.
Niyomugabo enjoyed a successful playing career, helping Kigali Basketball Club (KBC) win the 2010/11 league title. He later joined APR for the 2011/12 season, turning down offers from other top clubs, such as Espoir.
5. Players not available in this year’s final
APR’s star, Osborn Shema, will not be available. The 27-year-old tore his ACL during APR’s 94-92 win over United Generation Basketball (UGB) in the 2025 Basketball GMT final on April 27 and is expected to be out of action for between six and nine months.
For the Patriots, Dieudonne Ndizeye, popularly known as Gaston, will not be available. Last year, he joined Morocco’s MAS Fes on a short-term contract, and both parties agreed to part ways. Patriots will also not have Will Perry and Stephaun Branch, two American guards who were key for the team last season.
It is expected though that both APR and Patriots may announce last-minute trades that could make an impact in the playoffs.
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