Basketball in Africa

by Caxton Apollo
Nairobi

Co-operative Bank of Kenya Sunday registered a 83-42 win over Strathmore University in the opening match of the 2008 basketball Premier League at HopeCentre, Lavington in Nairobi.
In other matches, Mennonites beat Nairobi Pentecostal Church 57- 54, Yana went down 35-44 to Strathmore (women) while Blazers got a 20-0 walkover over Nakuru.
Co-op Bank, beaten 2-0 by KCB Lions in last years play off finals, got the season off toflying start when they rocked Strathmore 83-42.
It was a sweet avenge for the bankers who had crashed 49-44 to the students in the pre-season KBF OpenCup final in Ruaraka. Bernard Ogolla, who fell into early foul trouble, started by giving the students hopewhen he completed a three-point play to lead 3-0.
Co-op Bank, coach Carey Oketch gambled with his players from start allowing Strathmore to tie scores7-7 and 9-9.
The students settled down early to outscore Co-op Bank 16-13 in the first quarter. Bobby Okwako, who limped off with an injury in the last quarter, teamed up with Abel Kimondo to tie the game 20-20. After Kimondo had made it 22-20, Allan Ouma and Lewis Muya started punishing the overworked students. Co-op took command of the game to race a huge 45-25 half-timelead.
Strathmore were outplayed in the third quarter in which Co-op Bank scored at will to lead 32-9. The bankers remained consistent in scoring leading 27-9 in the third quarter and went up 18-8 in the physical last quarter.
Bobby Okwako scored game-high 24 points while Wycliffe Ochieng and George Kamau each added 10 for Co-op Bank. Ogolla shot 11 while Emmanuel Odhisihit 10 for the losers.
Newcomers Strathmore started their women's premier league campaign on a sound note when they beat experienced Yana 44-35.
Playing without their star Caroline Achieng, Yana trailed 18-14 at half-time. Veteran Stella Opondo of Yana made a strong comeback scoring nine points while team-mate Rachel Makena provided 10. Linet Mukiri, was the man-of the- match scoring 19 points for the students while Faith Owich managed 10.

Carry the day

In the Division One category, Allan Omondi shot 15 points while Abdulaziz Ali added 11 to steer Mennonites to a hard fought 57-54 win over the stubborn NPC. NPC had pinned down Mennonites from start leading 30-20 at the breather. The winners overturned the game in the third quarter in which they led 19-8 to carry the day.

Radhi Ndalu scored 23 points, Victor Sewe and Sultan Kiogora each shot 12 for NPC. In another lower competition tie, Blazers were awarded a 20-0 walk-over after their opponents Nakuru Club failed to show up.

KBF fixtures secretary Joseph Amoko said the Nakuru side failed to communicate in good time their problem of assembling a team.