The national men’s basketball team suffered a narrow 66-63 defeat to Gabon in their second match of the FIBA Afrocan Basketball Tournament in Angola on Monday.
The Kenyan team, known as Morans, started the game strongly, taking a 16-15 lead in the first quarter and extending it to 32-27 in the second.
However, Coach Cliff Owuor’s charges faced a challenging third quarter as Gabon turned the tide and surged ahead with a 54-50 lead. The final quarter saw a back-and-forth struggle as Kenya fought to regain their advantage.
Griffin Ligare’s jump shot brought the scores to 54-52, but Gabon responded with a jump shot of their own. A steal from Ligare allowed Bramwel Mwombe to make a jump shot, narrowing the gap to 56-54. With eight minutes remaining, Mwombe converted a free throw, bringing Kenya within half a basket of their opponents.
Gabon responded with a jump shot and a free throw, extending their lead to 59-55. Kenya’s Eugene Adera and Derrick Mekenye Ogechi contributed crucial points, levelling the game at 59-59.
Gabon’s Lerry Rostand Essono Mve made a pull-up jump shot to put his team ahead, but Tom Bush Wamukota responded with a jump shot, equalizing the score once again.
Turnovers became a challenge for the Kenyan team, with Ligare, Ogechi, and Victor Onyango committing some costly errors. Mve’s three-pointer created a gap between the teams, and despite Adera’s efforts, Gabon held on for the win.
Ogechi, based in the United States, emerged as Kenya’s standout performer, leading the team with 16 points, eight rebounds, one steal, and an assist.
The Morans started their campaign with a convincing 62-52 victory over Cote d’Ivoire and aim to replicate their success in the 2019 edition of the tournament, where they reached the final but fell short against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
