01 December 2007
KENYA : Bankers' battle for basketball honours begins
By CAXTON APOLLO
The battle for the 2007 men and women’s national basketball league championship reaches the climax with the first games of the three-match finals due to be played in Nairobi and Mombasa on Saturday.
The top tie at the Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium will pit the 2001 Premier League champions Kenya Commercial Bank Lions against former four- time winners Co-operative Bank of Kenya at 4pm.
Lions, who have participated in the play-offs since the format was adopted in 1999 , knocked out Tigers of the United States International of Africa 2-0 in the best-of-three series semi-final.
The second matches of the best-of-three final series will be played on December 8 with tie-breaker, if necessary, scheduled for December 10 in Nairobi.
Co-op Bank, who won four straight 1995-1998, gave the indication to regain their lost glory with a hard fought 2-1 win over Terrorists of the University of Nairobi.
The students, in the finals for the first time, forced the third game but Co-op whipped them 111-56 in the tie-breaker to book a date with Lions.
Co-op Bank, finished top in the pre-season with 30 points and their show in the semi- final against Terrorists leaves them with a high hurdle against KCB Lions this afternoon.
Lions, demolished Tigers (74-55 and 79-73) and coach Francis “Officer’’ Ngunjiri will be out to end the season with the second title.
Lions will parade overgreen Tobias Onyango, Yoni Wanambiro and David Otiso. On the other side will be the much-improved Lewis Muya, Wycliffe Ochieng the uncompromising Richard Osano.
In Mombasa, hosts Kenya Ports Authority men and women’s teams will enjoy the homecourt advantage when they host the inexperienced Flames of the USIU-A and Telkom.
The two matches which the hosts must win to enhance their chances of registering a double, will be played at the KPA Makande gymnasium from 2pm.
The dockwomen, who narrowly lost 2006 title to Telkom, eliminated Eagle Wings 2-0 in the semi-finals while Flames of the USIU-A entered their first final with a 2-1 win over experienced Sprite Storms.
Division One
On Saturday, there will also be the third and fourth position play-offs for Division One league in Nairobi before the the start of the finals game one fixtures. Mennonites will be up against JKUAT while Eagle Wings meet Sprite Storms at 12pm.
Ancette Wafula and Godfrey Abuya will be out to challenge KPA’s Joseph Khaemba and Mika Opinya at their backyard in the Division One finals.
KPA’s women’s team will start as favourites to clinch the 2007 championship against debutants Flames.
The battle for the 2007 men and women’s national basketball league championship reaches the climax with the first games of the three-match finals due to be played in Nairobi and Mombasa on Saturday.
The top tie at the Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium will pit the 2001 Premier League champions Kenya Commercial Bank Lions against former four- time winners Co-operative Bank of Kenya at 4pm.
Lions, who have participated in the play-offs since the format was adopted in 1999 , knocked out Tigers of the United States International of Africa 2-0 in the best-of-three series semi-final.
The second matches of the best-of-three final series will be played on December 8 with tie-breaker, if necessary, scheduled for December 10 in Nairobi.
Co-op Bank, who won four straight 1995-1998, gave the indication to regain their lost glory with a hard fought 2-1 win over Terrorists of the University of Nairobi.
The students, in the finals for the first time, forced the third game but Co-op whipped them 111-56 in the tie-breaker to book a date with Lions.
Co-op Bank, finished top in the pre-season with 30 points and their show in the semi- final against Terrorists leaves them with a high hurdle against KCB Lions this afternoon.
Lions, demolished Tigers (74-55 and 79-73) and coach Francis “Officer’’ Ngunjiri will be out to end the season with the second title.
Lions will parade overgreen Tobias Onyango, Yoni Wanambiro and David Otiso. On the other side will be the much-improved Lewis Muya, Wycliffe Ochieng the uncompromising Richard Osano.
In Mombasa, hosts Kenya Ports Authority men and women’s teams will enjoy the homecourt advantage when they host the inexperienced Flames of the USIU-A and Telkom.
The two matches which the hosts must win to enhance their chances of registering a double, will be played at the KPA Makande gymnasium from 2pm.
The dockwomen, who narrowly lost 2006 title to Telkom, eliminated Eagle Wings 2-0 in the semi-finals while Flames of the USIU-A entered their first final with a 2-1 win over experienced Sprite Storms.
Division One
On Saturday, there will also be the third and fourth position play-offs for Division One league in Nairobi before the the start of the finals game one fixtures. Mennonites will be up against JKUAT while Eagle Wings meet Sprite Storms at 12pm.
Ancette Wafula and Godfrey Abuya will be out to challenge KPA’s Joseph Khaemba and Mika Opinya at their backyard in the Division One finals.
KPA’s women’s team will start as favourites to clinch the 2007 championship against debutants Flames.
# posted by afrbk : 14:48
