Kampala — THE UCU Canons qualified for the men's national basketball championship playoffs with a sure 80-60 win over the Miracle Eagles at Lugogo Friday night and they had Robert Mugabe to largely thank for it.

Mugabe - not the Zimbabwe revolutionary but a certain Kenyan student - netted a game-high 23 points to help the Mukono university side get past a Miracle side which was determined enough to win two quarters of the contest.

Miracle, who had Solomon Ssali and Robert Mubiru score a team-high 11 points each, ended the first quarter with a 14-13 lead. But the Canons fired back to win the second quarter 27-12 and seize control of the match.

Miracle outscored the Canons 19-16 in the third to hint at a possible fight back but with the persistence of Adams Njoroge and Geoff Omondi, who gunned 11 and 10 points respectively, UCU won the last quarter 24-15 to get the win and their place in the post-season.

UCU became the third side after the Kyambogo Warriors and Sadolin Power to qualify for the playoffs. The last slot looks very likely to be taken by the Mogas Falcons who still have three games to play and are on track to finish in third place.