07 December 2008

KENYA : KPA recover to win Game One

By PHILIP ONYANGO

Eagle Wings blew a 20-point half time lead to hand Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) a 56-51 win in Game One of the national basketball final play-offs at the KPA Hall Makande on Saturday.
Wings were 10 points to the good at the end of the third quarter but last ditch efforts by Agnes Anyango and Everlyne Akoth saw KPA home in this closely contested match.
Caroline Achieng and Bridgit Nanzala scored a basket each in the openning minutes as Eagle Wings lead 4-0 but an effort by Agnes Anyango who scored the first basket for KPA made the scores 4-2.
Joyce Makungu and Mwajuma Suleiman combined for four points to tie the scores 6-6 after Rebecca Serange had stretched the lead for Eagle Wings with a jumper.
Wings then punished KPA with basket after another to lead 18-08 at the end of the first quarter with Makungu scoring the lone basket for KPA in five minutes.
The second quarter was evenly contested but it was KPA who enjoyed the batter part of the game leading 29-25 at the breather.

Unanswered points

Wings scored eight unanswered points on resumption to lead KPA 33-29 and stretched the lead to 39-31 at the end of the third quarter.
They continued to dominate KPA in the fourth quarter and with five minutes played they were leading 47-37.
KPA coach Anthony Ojukwu did well to introduce Helen Oketch for Mwajuma Suleiman.
Though she did not score a point, Oketch’s hard work in the defence helped KPA to level the scores 47-47 with Makungu, Anyango and Helen’s older sister Susan Oketch doing the damage.
Wings regouped and were leading 51-50 with two minutes left but Makungu scored a free throw and a jumper before Akoth nailed a three pointer to put the game beyond Wings reach.
Without a short clock, KPA resorted to time wasting and killed a whole two minutes in swinging the ball to win this one.
An angry Wings coach Thomas Olumbo refused to shake hands with Ojukwu at the end of the game accusing his opponent of gamemanship.

Comments: Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?