Red-hot Nairobi City Thunder continued to dominate the men’s Basketball Premier League by defeating varsity side USIU Tigers 82-56 at Nyayo Gymnasium in Nairobi today.
The victory extended the unbeaten streak of the Shauri-Moyo based team to 14 games, firmly establishing them at the top of the league standings with 28 points from 14 matches.
Thunder displayed their dominance early, taking the first quarter 20-13. However, they faced resistance in the second quarter, losing 17-20 to the students, but still maintained a lead of 37-33 going into halftime.
After the break, Thunder regained their momentum, delivering an impressive performance in the third quarter with a score of 27-15. They sealed their victory with a commanding performance in the last quarter, outscoring their opponents 18-8, resulting in a final score of 82-56.
Captain Griffins Ligare led by example with a team-high of 17 points, supported by Albert Odera and Garang Diing who contributed 15 and 12 points respectively, ensuring Thunder’s triumph.
Despite the win, Thunder’s head coach Brad Ibs expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance, particularly in the first half.
“Today, we had a slow start. We didn’t shoot the ball too well from three-pointers, made silly mistakes, and failed to rebound well in the first half. But we fixed our mistakes and came out strong in the second half. We are fortunate to secure a comfortable win as USIU is not an easy opponent,” said Ibs.
USIU Tigers’ head coach David Maina acknowledged his team’s defeat against the league’s top team but praised their effort.
“We faced the best team in the league and put up a good fight. We started well but slowed down in the second quarter, allowing them to take advantage of open shots. This is a learning lesson for my young team, which is new to the league. Despite the loss, it’s a positive step forward as we were not humiliated like many other teams have been against Thunder,” Maina commented.
With this loss, USIU Tigers have played 13 matches, winning eight and losing five, securing the third position on the league table with 21 points.
In other Saturday results;
- City Thunder defeated USIU Tigers 82-56
- Strathmore Swords lost to KPA 55-74
- Storms suffered a defeat against USIU Flames with a score of 37-79
- Equity Dumas secured a victory over Umoja with a score of 75-51.
