The coach of Zetech University Sparks Maurice Obilo expressed confidence as his team prepares to face the reigning women’s champions, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), in the Kenya National Basketball League play-off finals.
The Zetech tactician’s spirits remain high following their impressive 70-40 victory over former title holders, Equity Bank Hawks, in a best-of-five series, securing a 3-0 win at Nyayo Stadium gymnasium on Saturday.
Similarly, the porters of KPA secured a clean sweep in their series, defeating Strathmore University Swords 69-47 at the Makande Welfare Hall in Mombasa.
“We will make some adjustments for the finals. We have different strategies in mind to match up against KPA. We cannot approach them in the same way we did with Equity Bank,” Obilo revealed.
After losing to the Hawks in the semi-finals last year, Obilo emphasized the importance of belief for his team. “I knew we had the potential to beat them, but I never expected a 3-0 victory to be honest,” Obilo admitted. The addition of centre Medina Okot from KPA provided a significant boost to the team’s confidence.
“We lost Debbie Obunga just a few weeks before Medina joined us. Debbie played a crucial role in our setup, and her absence was a significant blow. Therefore, Medina’s arrival was a huge boost and brought a renewed sense of confidence to the team.”
Chantal Kiyobe contributed 24 points, while Okot scored 20 for Sparks. Hawks, struggling in the last quarter with a 24-4 deficit, had 14 points from Shilalei Shani.
In the men’s division, KPA dominated Thunder with a convincing 78-32 victory, taking a 2-1 series lead. Martin Kitongo led the scoring with 13 points, supported by Victor Odendo with 11 points and Leek Deng with 10 points for KPA. Derick Juma was the only player for Thunder to reach double figures with 14 points.
Ulinzi Warriors managed to keep their hopes alive by defeating Equity Bank 68-66. Eric Mutoro contributed 13 points, while William Ochieng scored 11 points and Stephen Simiyu added 10 points for the soldiers.
James Mwangi led the scoring for the bankers with 16 points, with Faheem Juma contributing 11 points, and Moses Wanjara and Shem Otieno both tallying 10 points. Both series will proceed to Game Four.
In the lower division, Stanbic Bank, United States International University (USIU), and Zetech University advanced to the finals.
The bankers dominated Kisii University Raptors with an 82-43 victory, USIU defeated Strathmore University 53-39, and Zetech University triumphed over
TH3 Swish in the women’s category. In Nakuru, Cabal Elisist beat National Bank of Kenya (NBK) Phoenix 57-47, taking a 2-1 series lead.
