Basketball in Africa

Kisumu Lakeside were declared the 2006 men's Division One basketball league pre-season champions on Sunday.

They beat Nairobi Pentecostal Church 68-51 to complete their 16 matches with 29 points. They won 13 matches losing only three to finish top in the nine-team competition.

Lakeside, will now take on fourth rated Mennonites in the post-season best-of-three series play-off semi-finals which get underway on November 4.

In other matches, men's Premier League champions Ulinzi Warriors completed their fixtures with an unbeaten record after beating University of Nairobi's Terrorists 72-51, women's defending champions Kenya Ports Authority also kept their scoresheet clean in 11 matches after registering a 76-26 win over Dynamites, Nairobi Pentecostal Church rocked Don Bosco 73-70 while Java Warriors down fighting 71-55 to rivals Lakeside.

On Sunday, Lakeside, who had made their work easier after dismissing rivals Java 71-55, scored six points through Tobias Odhiambo while Erick Omondi hit seven to lead 20-10 in the first quarter.

Big contribution

NPC, who failed to make the top four teams for the play-offs, used Chidi Antoine in the second quarter whose big contribution saw them upset Lakeside 12-10.

On sensing danger, James Nyasimi's Lakeside got down to serious business with Tobias Odhiambo and EricK Odhiambo causing havoc in their opponents territory to race to a 30-22 half-time lead.

It was all systems go for Lakeside in the last quarter in which Tobias Odhiambo ran riot sinking three-three-pointers in a row as Lakeside overpowered NPC to outscore them 19-17.

10 points each
Man-of-the match Tobias Odhiambo scored a game-high 26 points, Erick Odhiambo added 14 while Radhi Ndalu contributed 18 and team-mates Linus Kimunya and Antoine replied with 10 points each.

In another lower competition tie, Java Warriors recovered to end their fixtures with a 58-55 win over Don Bosco. The victory saw Java finish second with 28 points and will now face third rated Strathmore University in the play-off semi-finals to determine the 2006 championship.
Coach Mike Mureithi's Java had a shaky start allowing Don Bosco to lead 20-12 in the first quarter.

Frustrated them
Java failed to get organised from the word go as Don Bosco frustrated them to lead 40-38 at half-time.
Erick Omondi and Timothy Odhiambo of Java came back into the game in the third quarter in which they worked extra hard to race to a 20-6 advantage.
Philip Owino scored 13 points, Omondi and George Ochieng each shot 10 for Java while Robert Brian had 13, Gerald Kibugi hit 11 while Graham Mmeyi managed 10 for Don Bosco.