Basketball in Africa

Zone 5 results

KCC 60-47 Ewesa (Ethiopia)

Today – semifinals
Berco (Burundi) v KCC (2pm)

Fuba League results (Wednesday)
M: Warriors 76-63 UCU Canons
W: Mak Sparks 42-79 Lady Canons

Today at YMCA
M: KIU v Nkumba (8.30pm)
W: Amazon v Gladiators (6.30pm)

By ISMAIL DHAKABA KIGONGO
KCC Leopards coach Timothy Odeke believes star guard Flavia Oketcho can play through the pain in her foot to spur the Ugandan side to the Zone 5 Club Championship finals in Dar-es-Salaam.
Oketcho suffered the injury in the 55-53 victory over Kenya Ports of Authority (KPA) on Tuesday but has continued to play through the barrier. She scored a team-high 13 points, a tally matched by Martha Soigi, to defeat Ethiopian side Ewesa 60-47 yesterday. KCC finished second in the preliminaries behind hosts Jeshi Stars. “One of the KPA players stepped on her foot. It’s aching but we can work around it. The final is a bare minimum,” Odeke said. Centre Carol Badaru also suffered bruises due to the heat.

KCC clinched a semifinal date with Burundi’s Berco Stars this afternoon by cruising through the final period 22-4 after the team from the from the Horn of Africa had made it close.
The two-time Ugandan league champions edged the first period 12-11, took charge of the second 14-8 and lost the third 12-14. Miriam Hamala added 12 and Joyce Zalwango scored 10. Odeke must now contend with Florence Kalume who missed KCC’s 56-40 preliminary stage victory over her team Berco. “She does so much and they look to her to play 40 minutes so our strategy will be different.”
Kalume, a former Crane High School star in the local league, tormented Team Uganda at the Zone 5 Nations Championships in Kigali, Rwanda earlier this year. Meanwhile, Kyambogo Warriors returned to the top of the MTN-Fuba League after beating UCU Canons 76-63 on Wednesday night at YMCA court.
Ivan Enabu scored 25 points and seven rebounds in the game which started late due to power outages. Warriors rose to 13-1 for a total of 27 points, one ahead of champions DMark Power. UCU Lady Canons pummeled Makerere Sparks 79-42 to go into within one point of KCC Leopards (32) in the women’s standings. Purity Odhiambo led all scorers with 19 points.