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Jannon Otto averaged 18.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists as the Gazelles finished second in AfroBasket Qualifiers.
Uganda Gazelles small forward Jannon Otto has been awarded as the best basketball player for the month of February and the ForteBet Real Star Awards.
She beat off competition from- Gazelles teammates Brenda Ekone and Maria Najjuma to land the award.
Otto made her debut for Uganda at the Fiba Women’s Zone V AfroBasket Qualifiers in Kampala, Uganda and helped the team finish second behind powerhouse Egypt.
Having arrived just hours to the start of the tournament, Otto, who plays professional basketball in Luxemburg, became Uganda’s best player with good numbers on offence.
She was a first-timer with the team but played like she had been part of it for years.
Her ability to shoot the ball and create for the rest made her unplayable against most teams.
She scored 27 points and picked 14 rebounds against Egypt in Uganda’s historic 86-85 win.
Another double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Pharaohs in the final concluded the tournament for the new Gazelle.
On average, Otto played 36.42 minutes in every game, scoring 18.3 points, gathering 10.3 rebounds and dishing out 2.8 assists.
The American-Ugandan was easily the team’s best player.
Her closest challenger Brenda Ekone also lit up the Lugogo Indoor Stadium with her transition troubling all opponents.
For a country that struggles to shoot the ball and is limited in size, Uganda’s best chance of scoring was always going to be through quick transition. And Brenda Ekone is the perfect representation of that style of play.
Against Egypt in the team’s second game, the JKL Lady Dolphins guard blew past everyone guarding her and kept driving to the basket, forcing the Pharaohs to foul her all the time.
She still managed 13 points and six rebounds in that game. The former Nkumba Lady Marines player also got 25 points and seven rebounds in the final game.
The speedster played an average of 27.42 minutes every game, scoring 14.8 points, gathering 6.8 rebounds and an assist.
Najjuma’s senior debut came with an average of 7.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in 22 minutes.
The Real Star Awards recognise excelling sports personalities in a given month and Otto will be hoping to win more of these awards.
The award was picked by Gazelles team manager Victoria Ntale from Jude Colour Solutions offices at Prime Complex.
Kobs forward Pius Ogena and athlete Jacob Kiplimo and Uganda Hippos’ gen Rogers Mugisha are some of the other winners.
REAL AWARDS BEST OF FEB 2023
RUGBY
Pius Ogena (man of the match against Buffaloes, Kobs 8th man ball carrying saw his team moving forward)
BASKETBALL
Jannon Otto (played an average of 36.42 minutes , scoring 18.3 points, gathering 10.3 rebounds and dishing out 2.8 assists as Gazelles finished second in AfroBasket Qualifiers)
BADMINTON
Fadilah Shamika (became the first Ugandan to win gold at All-African Senior championship in Women's singles that were played in South Africa despite being a junior. Fadilah also won three bronze (Women's Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) in the Uganda Junior International Challenge 2023)
FOOTBALL
Rogers Mugish (picked one man of the match against Central African Republic at the ongoing U20 AFCON in Egypt)
RALLY
Yasin Nasser/Ali Katumba (won the first round of the NRC dubbed Mbarara Festival Rally with time of 1 hour, 15 minutes and 15 seconds in their new baby Ford Fiesta R5)
ATHLETICS
Jacob Kiplimo (won the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, Australia)
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