Tag Archives: Basketball

Gold for Cats

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The CPUT Basketball teams gave excellent performances recently when they bullied their way to win the Western Cape (WC) leg of the University Sports of South Africa (USSA).

Both Cats teams dominated their matches from the word go and were properly rewarded for their sterling efforts at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Sports Centre.

The women’s team beat the University of Western Cape (UWC) 64 – 40 and the men’s team won 79 – 65 against UCT.

The women’s team extended their dominance in the WC University League by winning its sixth consecutive championship whilst the CPUT men caused an upset against the much favoured UCT team which had dominated during the regular season.

The CPUT basketball club thanks the many students, staff and student leadership that came out in their numbers to support the teams.

“Without your support, we don’t think we would have shown such a fight in both games,” says the cub’s management.

 

 

 

 

Parliament…here comes the CPUT Cats

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The CPUT Cats are off to Parliament this November to meet with the Sports Portfolio committee.

The invite comes after the CPUT teams conquered the Cape Town Basketball Association League Championship.

Both teams played their final match on home ground at the Cape Town Campus. The female team beat Montana Vikings 66 – 30, while the male team defeated Montana Vikings with a smashing 68 – 48.

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Team Manager, Matome Mokoena says he is proud of the team’s achievement.

“They prepared hard to get to where they are today.  Lots of blood sweat and tears.  The mandate was always to play hard and have fun while overcoming every obstacle on their way to the top, where they belong,” he says.

Mokoena also attributes the team’s success to Coach Masie Ntlali, who in 2014 took over from the legendary Coach Thierry Kita, who had laid a strong foundation.

Meanwhile, CPUT Cats ladies defeated Vikings to clinch their CTBA #BacktoBack title.

“Thanks to all the hard work and investment Coach Kimathi Toboti has put in the team,” says Mokoena.

The CPUT Cats Ladies were also awarded team of the year at the recent CPUT Sports Awards, while team member Asamkele Nongwendu clinched the female Most Valuable Player for the 2015 CTBA Championships.  Simphiwe Benge clinched the Men’s MVP award.

*For a full report on the win see http://www.cput.ac.za/blogs/basketball/2015/10/19/cput-cats-trounced-montana-vikings-to-clinch-title/

 

Cats versus Alumni

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The Cats Basketball team recently celebrated 20 years of existence by hosting an anniversary game between the CPUT Cats and the Alumni team.

Held at their home base at the Cape Town Campus, the Alumni teamed showed off their skills and proved that experience does pay off, winning the anniversary game.

Team Manager, Matome Mokoena says the highlight of the game was when both teams handed a Cats basketball jersey, which they signed, to the teams’ legendary coach Thierry Kita.

Kita coached the team for several years and is now the Associate Director of Basketball Operations for NBA Africa.

Mokoena says the Cats team is currently competing in the USSA Western Cape Championships and so far has remained unbeaten.

The team has their sights set on securing a place in the USSA National Championships that will be held in Durban later this year.

Last year the male team finished second, while the female team finished third in the country

Follow the team’s activities on twitter @cputbasketball and read their blog at www.cput.ac.za/blogs/basketball/ for all the latest Basketball news and fixtures.

FLYING THE CPUT FLAG HIGH

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CPUT CATS AT THE USSA BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENING CEREMONY

CPUT CATS AT THE USSA BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENING CEREMONY

The USSA Basketball National Championships held at the University of Pretoria from 30 June – 4 July 2014 were full of exciting moments; from laughter to singing to chanting to crying to bonding.  There was a lot of synergy in the air amongst the team.

The CPUT Cats have created a new culture for themselves.  Suddenly we are now united in song; we are a team that sings and chants together in unison led by Freshman Luthando Limba.  Team spirit vibe is on another level right now.  After Coach Thierry Kita left the CPUT Cats for greener pastures at NBA Africa, who would have thought we would achieve what we have thus far?  Majority of the players from 2013 are no longer part of the student team for various reasons.

I couldn’t have scripted this story any better.  It is just incredible what Coach Masie Ntlali has managed to accomplish since taking over the reigns as the Head Coach of the CPUT Cats.  With 3 senior players and 8 rookies, nobody would have ever thought that our first loss of the year in all USSA competitions would be against the undisputed and defending champions VUT.  Who can be ashamed from loosing to the undefeated defending champions?  We can only be proud of the camaraderie spirit that was displayed on and off the court by our players.

The CPUT Cats new generation team have surpassed everybody’s expectations of defeating everybody there is to beat on their quest to the top.  It didn’t come easy for the team to get to where they are today.  It took sheer hard work and dedication to get to this point.

The players are guided by the team principles to do this well.  They played hard, they played smart, they played together, and lastly they had fun.  Winning is just a bonus for the Cats.  As long as they do what needs to be done according to the team principles, all shall fall into place.  The Men’s team scored an average of 68.8 points per game and conceded 51.4 points per game.  The Ladies team scored an average of 81 points per game and conceded 32.5 points per game throughout the whole tournament.

The CPUT Cats ladies team had a great tournament until they met the Wits dream team which eliminated the Cats and went onto win they finals by defeating the defending champions VUT.  The Cats defeated UCT to clinch Bronze medal.  The UCT ladies had a great tournament and shocked a lot of people when they eliminated the hosts Tuks.  It was refreshing to see a different team win for a change for the second time since 2010.  Wits stepped up their game when they came from behind to defeat VUT with only 2 minutes to play.  Their number 10 Modiegi celebrated her birthday in style when she was awarded Most Valuable Player of the tournament.  She was a thorn in the VUT defence.

Veranique #Vee Samuels had a great tournament.  She was voted by other coaches to become part of the 2014 USSA Basketball All Stars.  In Basketball, 5 players get voted as the best of the best throughout the tournament.  The 6th person is voted as the Most Valuable Players of the tournament.  Ms Samuels scored an average of 12.67 points per game throughout the tournament.  Both Chad Smitsdorff and Bonga #Hotstove11 Kalipa from the Men’s team were voted All Stars as well.  Chad had an average of 10.80 points per game and #Hotstove11 had an average of 17 points per game.  The highest scorer in the CPUT Cats teams both male and female was Sophy #Lowizzy Ngobeni with an average of 20.67 points per game throughout the tournament.

Boston Media House almost caused the biggest upset in the history of the game by defeating VUT Men’s team but lack of experience and a bit of excitement cost them the game.  It was their first time taking part in this tournament and they got eliminated in the first round.  The game against VUT was a must win for them to make it into the next round.  This game was one of the most exciting games of the tournament.

CPUT Cats after receiving their Silver Medals #USSA2014

CPUT Cats after receiving their Silver Medals #USSA2014

During Game 1 against DUT both Chad and #Hotstove11 dropped double digits in the bucket.  The biggest highlight is that every single player managed to score in the Men’s team.  Rookie Sifundile Sokujika had a 100% success rate in Field Goal 2 points.  #Hotstove11 had 6 rebounds and Idris #Mon3y Kayembe had 10 rebounds.  It seems like the Cats have started a new tradition for themselves of winning game 1 of USSA National Championships by 20 points since 2013.   Final score was 68-48.  During the ladies first game against UL 3 players dropped double digits. Nomfusi Rewu (11), Vee (12) and Lowizzy (23).  The Ladies won by 41 points margin.  Final score was 73-32.

Game 2 against CUT Men’s highlight is that everybody managed to score and 3 players dropped double digits.  Emmanuel #Ted Tonye (11), #Hotstove11 (12) and Simphiwe #SpinMan Benge (18) were on fire.  Eugene #E-Jay Beya had a career high of 6 rebounds and #Ted had 8 rebounds respectively.  The biggest highlight of the game was the moment Vuyo #Vuzu Vellem hit an ankle breaking in and out crossover on a player from CUT and released the ball to Sifundile who scored a layup.  We caught it all on camera.  Visit our Youtube channel to see the video.  The Cats annihilated CUT with a margin of 56 points.  The final score was 84-28.  The Ladies game against TUT had 4 players dropping double digits Lungile #Lungsta Mtsweni (10), Mpho #AnkleBreaker Seswa (12), #Lowizzy (16) and #Vee (31).  The Ladies won by a humongous margin of 78 points.  The final score was 96-18.

Game 3 for the Men was their quarterfinal match against UKZN who were determined to cause an upset.  Sarp #Bart Sozeri played his best game since joining the Cats with a USSA career high of 14 points and 9 rebounds.  Other players that brought their A game were Matthew Metz on defence; #Mon3y with 6 rebounds; Chad with 15 points and 5 rebounds and #Hotstove11 with 15 points and 7 rebounds.  Cats won with a margin of 25 points.  The final score was 78-53.  The Ladies had an interesting game against UFS.  #Vee dropped 11 points, #Lungsta 14 points and #Lowizzy dropped 31 points.  #Lowizzy was like an inferno against the UFS ladies.  Ladies team won with a margin of 35 points.  The final score was 74-39.

Game 4 for the Men was their semifinals against UJ whom we defeated in game 1 in 2013 by 20 points so they had a score to settle with their new coach.  The Cats proved that they were mentally strong so they came prepared for war.  Cats beat UJ with a single digit margin of 9 points.  The interesting thing is that their team didn’t change much from 2013 and we beat them with our new team of 8 rookies and 3 senior players.  Final score was 64-55.  #Bart was out with an injury caused by a spider so the guys dedicated the win to him.  This game was the Ladies’s quarterfinals against a relentless UJ team that became known as that team that comes back from behind and win with several seconds left.  Our Ladies were ready for these tactics and managed to hold them to a 55-29 and qualified for the semifinals against Wits.  Cats won with a margin of 26 points.  Only #Lungsta (13) and #Lowizzy (19) managed to score double digits in this game.

Game 5 for the Men was their Finals match against the defending champions VUT.  This was for the second time Cats face VUT in the USSA National Championships Finals since 2010.  As a team the Cats everything there is to achieve until thus far.  Majority of the VUT players currently play in the BNL which is a professional league in South Africa.  On the day only Chad and #Hotstove11 managed to show up.  They delivered an impressive performance which caught the attention of other coaches, players and the Basketball community at large.  #Hotstove11 hit the only slam dunk of the game.  He scored 17 points and made 8 rebounds.  As a captain he led from the front. Chad pulled off some amazing jump stops and drove in to score some difficult team in VUT.  He scored 13 points in the finals.  Cats lost by a margin of 23 points and the final score was 50-73.  This was the Ladies semifinals against Wits.  The Ladies from Wits brought their A game on the day.  They had a well balanced team.  Our Ladies struggled against Wits suffered their first loss in all USSA competitions since January.  Final score was 44-54 and they lost with a margin of 10 points.  #Vee scored 11 points and Wits managed to contain #Lowizzy on defence to score a tournament low of 13 points.

CPUT Cats Ladies team with the SRC Members

CPUT Cats Ladies team with the SRC Members

The Cats Ladies regrouped and played a Cape Town derby for the 3rd and 4th play-offs against UCT.  Nandipha #Speedy Tshali showed up with a tournament high of 12 points.  #Lowizzy was back doing what she does best with a total of 22 points in the bucket.  Cats beat UCT 60-23 to clinch bronze, one position lower than 2012 and 2013.  With teams that we have, we have done extremely well with the limited resources at our disposal.  The presence and support from our Local SRC was felt and we highly appreciate it.  They sang their lungs out and chanted day-in-day-out until the last day.

The future of Basketball and the CPUT Cats looks bright indeed.  Our Sport Administrator Ms Annelie Swarts deserves a special mention.  She has been there for us since day 1.  Now we need the full support of the CPUT Management as Basketball is the Flagship Sport of the Institution.  We continue to shine and fly the CPUT flag high.  The technical team have built a solid foundation for both the teams to thrive.  CPUT Cats family is an Elite organisation thanks to those who have come before us.  We are what we are because of other people.  From the female Team Manager Rebecca Moloto; to the newly appointed SA Ladies National team head coach Kimathi Toboti; to the men’s  Assistant Coach Myc Makada; to Comunication Officer of the team Matome #CoachDukes Mokoena and lastly the Under 20 Men’s National Team Head Coach Masie Ntlali all have done a sterling job in carrying on the CPUT Cats Legacy forward.

I guess it is safe to say Basketball is alive and well in CPUT, Cape Town, South Africa!

#UBUNTU

 

 

 

 

VICTORS & VICTRIX OF USSA BASKETBALL

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CPUT Cats crowned USSA WC Basketball Champions for 2014

CPUT Cats crowned USSA WC Basketball Champions for 2014

Cats have a solid foundation. We are reaping the rewards of the selfless hard work of those who came before us. This is more than a team, it is a movement. We have managed to overcome many adversities. As a team we have managed to overcome all the odds to rise and be on top of our game.

This is a legacy project. Many legends have come before us and the current crop of players are future legends. We are going to keep the legacy going. It is all about the love of the game. People such Vincent Ntunja who has become a role model in his community of Gugulethu as a Philanthropist, Model, Radio Personality to name but a few of his accolades, was groomed at CPUT Cats. Siyabonga Ngwekazi the TV and Radio Personality and owner of Amakipkip clothing brand is also a Cats Legend.  Many of our past and present players have represented their Provincial and National teams both in the junior and senior level.

Hard work and dedication is the order of the day. My hero Coach Thierry Kita started something special here at CPUT more than a decade ago. It is sad to note that the CPUT community never got to learn about him while he was still part of our programme. Because of him, i regard being part of the Cats family a privilege. I feel blessed to have had him as my mentor.

Coach Kita who is one of the most prolific coaches in Africa runs Hoops for Hope and he recently accepted a position as the Deputy Director of NBA Africa. In 2008 he introduced the Boston Celtics to one of our values as CPUT which is Ubuntu. Because of his influence, Boston Celtics were crowned the NBA Champions under the leadership of Doc Rivers. This is the man who invited Kita to talk to his players about Ubuntu first on their preseason tour to Europe and later in the USA during the 2008 season.

Loyalty plays a huge role in this team. If you put in the work, stay disciplined and adjust your attitude, you will go a long way with this team. Being able to interpret what the coach expects from each player is a huge advantage if you are determined to be part of the team. Everybody involved is constantly reminded about their priorities as far as the team is concerned. It is inspirational to have leaders such as Junior Ongenda as part of the team. He is a living legend.

The 2014 team have exceeded everybody’s expectations. With a new Coach in Masie Ntlali, to qualify for the USSA National Championships was never on the cards. He was under no obligation to qualify to the Nationals but he did it in style without ever being defeated. Now that we have qualified, his goal has been achieved. CPUT Cats have got a 100% winning record in 2014 in all competitions so far. The future looks promising under Coach Masie’s leadership. We are building a team for the future but every win is a bonus for us because we are not under any pressure to achieve but we just do it with ease.

CPUT Cats were crowned the 2014 USSA Western Cape Basketball Champions in the presence of some CPUT Executive Management members, the SRC and students who had come to support the teams. Hard work pays. The ladies game was a one sided affair because the Cats defence knew how to contain the UCT team. They made it look easy and their victory was a sweet one.

The Men’s game was a humdinger and they had to fight hard for their victory. It is never easy playing against UCT because they have a really good team. Our team has got players that have the ability to step up and win the game when it matters the most. We know how to win games. It is a team effort and therefore, we do not rely on any specific player to win a game. At the end of the day it is the team that wins. They say numbers don’t lie and we showed UCT who the Kings of the Western Cape Basketball is. The final score was 65-52. The USSA National Championships will be held at the University of Pretoria during the first week of July 2014.

Coach Kimathi Toboti has done a sterling job in developing a formidable ladies team with limited resources.   I mean they completely annihilated UCT in what was a one sided affair.  The final score was 57-18.  It was exciting to watch how disciplined the ladies team were throughout the game.  It was a highly physical game which left some of our players injured.

The CPUT Cats family would like to take this opportunity to thank Annelie Swarts for all her support. She is always there for us. Garrett Rose for all the transport arrangements, we appreciate it.

We would like to thank our Dean of Students Mrs Cora Motale for attending our USSA finals together with Mr Loki Manise the HOD of Department of Student Affairs, Mr Sinethemba Mpambane representing the Executive Management of the institution, the SRC Members representing all the students and lastly our supporters who came in their magnitudes for this auspicious occasion. History was made and I am glad to have been part of it. Without you, things would be different. You are all legendary!