Tuks women triumph during the USSA 3×3 basketball tournament

From wannabes to champions is the remarkable story of Tuks women’s 3×3 basketball.

3×3 basketball is an exciting, urban and innovative variation of basketball played with three players on each team on a half-court setup with one hoop and backboard.

The Tuks women won the USSA 3×3 Tournament, beating UJ 18-15 in the final played at Rhodes University.

There is a story to be told about the Tuks team’s road to victory. In 2019, the Tuks Ladies finished 14th at USSA’s. The turnaround started when Kimathi Toboti was appointed coach. It did not take him long to begin to work his magic.

In 2021, the Tuks women’s team played in the USSA 5×5 basketball final. It was the first time in 11 years they did so. They did not win. VUT won 65-49, but the die was cast. The Tuks players started to think like winners. Last year, they were second. And now they are the USSA champions.

Toboti has a holistic approach to coaching.

“Winning is important; no one coaches a team to lose. Ten years later, I shall forget the championships I have won, but I will always have the memories of the ‘kids’ I coached. If I can change one ‘kid’s life because of basketball, it will mean I have succeeded. The biggest reward is seeing a student-athlete grow outside the basketball game,” he explained.

Tuks’ captain, Linette Ngulube, quickly credits the coaches as instrumental in their success.

“Kimathi Toboti is an astute coach, while Thesline Davids knows how to get us to be at our best when it matters. We are lucky to have them. They guided us to a brilliant season. We got to contest the final or semifinals in most of the tournaments we played. In the Tshwane Basketball League, we got silver. We were third in the Inter-City Super League,” se remarked.

Ngulube plays as a post. In short, it boils down to her having to create scoring opportunities. But it is her role as captain that she treasures.

“Being the captain comes naturally. During a game when we were struggling, I got the ability to bring calmness to the team and get the players to refocus. It is essential to listen to one’s teammates and to respect them. I speak to them as I want people to talk to me. Rudeness brings you nowhere. Being the captain does not stop for me once we leave the court. I also worked hard to gain my teammate’s confidence off-court because the camaraderie of the game attracted me to play basketball,” the Information Science student said.

Aside from basketball and studying, baking excites Ngulube. She prides herself in being able to bake to-die-for chocolate brownies. According to her, the secret to doing so is baking with love.

Being a top-class master chef in brownie baking has its advantages. Teammates will push themselves to the limits for just one bite.

3×3 basketball made its global competitive debut at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, it was part of the Senior Games.

Unlike the 5×5 game, it is played on half of the ordinary court, with only a single hoop. There are only three players per team on the court at any given time, with one reserve on the bench.

The Tuks women’s team at USSA was Cleo Matheyse, Khanyisile Maphisa, Kamogelo Motaung and Ngulube. Tuks men’s finished third.

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