16 November 2006

KENYA : Warriors Face Co-Op Bank in Play-Off Final

Ulinzi Warriors will meet Co-operative Bank of Kenya in this season's men's basketball play-offs final at Nyayo Stadium this weekend.

The soldiers booked their finals ticket after eliminating rivals, Kenya Commercial Bank Lions 2-1 in a best-of-three series semi-final last Sunday.
The final, to be played on a best-of-three series basis, will begin next Saturday at 4pm.
Ulinzi Warriors, out to write history by becoming the first team to win the title for five straight years, beat Lions 90-83 in the tight decisive Game Three. The teams had tied at 1-1, prompting Game Three to determine the semi-final winner.
Co-op Bank had earlier knocked out Tigers of USIU-A, 2-0 (76-63 and 73-61) in another semi-final tie.
Lions, who lost to Ulinzi in all semi-finals since 2002, had won Game One, 74-70. But the soldiers recovered to beat the bankers 68-53 in Game Two on Saturday.
In the make-or-break Sunday tie, forward Ancette Wafula connected well with veteran Stanley Ndishu and Moses "Chopper" Shida.
Greg Odera provided 14 points in the critical final quarter, with David Otiso firing a big three-pointer as Lions worried Ulinzi, beating them 31-24 in the fourth quarter.
Victor Odendo scored 11 points for Ulinzi. Otiso had 23, Kirui shot 16 and Odera 14 points for Lions.
In an international build-up match at the same venue, Rwanda men's team wound up its tour on a low note when they went down to their hosts, Kenya, 56-47.
Vallerie Uwimana and Elonoi Munyengaju of Rwanda had given Kenya an early scare, giving the visitors a 14-11 first quarter lead.
Kenya, coached by Gitau Waringo, then recovered to lead 12-10 in the second quarter. Rwanda had earlier on squeezed a narrow 24-23 half-time lead.
On resumption, the two teams locked twice on 35-35 and 37-37 before Nelson Njau, Peter Kiganya and Richard Osano hit 12 points without reply as Kenya went up for good at 51-38.
Kiganya scored 16 points, Njau had 12 for Kenya while Kimanuka had 10 and Umuhire 12 for Rwanda.
In other matches, Rwanda men's team beat Tigers 53-48 before going down 69-50 to Nairobi Combined on Saturday.The Rwanda women's side beat Flames of USIU-A 54-25 and lost 49-43 to Yana.

The two Rwanda teams, which returned home on last Sunday night by road, were in Kenya for a series of friendly matches in preparation for the regional Senior Challenge Cup to be held in Kigali from November 27.

Meanwhile, KCB Lions will leave the country tonight for Nigeria where they will represent Kenya in the Africa club championship.

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