Basketball in Africa

In one of the most anticipated KBF Premier League matches this season, USIU Tigers upset 2011 defending champions Co-op Bank 79-77 to win game one of the play-offs finals that was played on Wednesday evening at a fully packed Nyayo Gymnasium.
Ramadhan Arou was the savior of the day for the students after they had squandered a 17 point lead in the first quarter in which they won 25-8 to sink in a late basket with 14 seconds to go to put the scores at 79-75. Co-op did the same with a retaliating last minute points to settle the scores at 77-79 but it was a little too late when the time ran out and the students won the match.
Co-op Bank had managed to pull one of the greatest come backs this season after a dismal 1^st quarter as they recovered to win the remaining three quarters, 2^nd (21-15) 3^rd 23-20 and 4^th (25-19).
James Mwangi was on form calling the shots for his side alongside Fred Odongo while on the other end Evans Leting and Victor Bosire pushed the students in their quest to achieving history with their first title.
The match also witnessed its fair share of controversy when the match was stopped in the last quarter with only 2 minutes to go when Co-op Bank fans threw plastic bottles in the court after a questionable call by the ref against one of the Co-op players.
Co-op will face the Tigers on Saturday for game 2 in what will prove to be pulsating encounter. For the students they will be out to win their first ever title when they win while Co-op Bank has to fight tooth and nail to defend their title.
In the women category, USIU Flames narrowly lost to defending champions Eagle Wings in game one at the same venue on Wednesday and will be going for a comeback in the second match on Saturday.