Basketball in Africa

Co-operative Bank won the first three quarters enroute to a 49-41 win over Nairobi Aviation College in a national classic league match played on Saturday in Nairobi. 19-12 and 10-8 wins in the first two quarters saw the bankers take a 29-20 lead to the breather.
They repeated the same performance in the third quarter winning 10-9 before Aviation won the consolation fourth quarter 12-10.
The win takes Co-op Bank top of the log on eighteen points, one ahead of Thunder. Joseph Khaemba top scored for the bankers with 11 points while Salim Ali added 8. Franklin Delano and Job Byron scored 9 points each for Aviation.
University of Nairobi’s Terrorist registered the second win of the season with a 65-56 win over a disorganized Blazers side.
Most of the Blazers’ key players including Abel Nson arrived for the match late after kickoff which affected their playing.
Terror won the first quarter 12-10 and Blazers second 16-15 to give the students a slim one point lead at halftime. Blazers overpowered the students in the third quarter winning 17-8 but Terror replied with equal measure in the fourth quarter to win 30-13.
Brian Namulata scored 14 points for Terror while Captain Hillary Kubai had 13. Ronnie Akedi was Blazers’ top scorer with 14 points. United States International University- Africa, USIU-A, registered a vital away win in the women premier after beating Western Delight 79-31 in Kakamega.
Hilda Indasi had 20 points for the visitors with Linda Mfuchi contributing 14.
Peninah Wekesa scored 10 points for Delight. USIU won all the quarters 11-6, 17-14, 32-6 and 19-5 respectively. Kwale-based NYTA-Shimba also reaped maximum points from their tour of Nairobi with a 61-37 win over Kenyatta University Oryx.
Taundencia Peter scored 23 points for Shimba with Betty Kananu notching 17 for Oryx. The first quarter was won by Oryx 10-7 while Shimba carried home the remaining quarters 14-7, 24-8 and 16-12 in that order.
In division one, Kenyatta University Pirates failed to sustain their fighting spirit to lose 62-53 against Zetech College in a highly competitive match. Trailblazers beat Umoja 68-61 in the other match.
Collated Results: Trailblazers 68 Umoja 61, KU Oryx 37 NYTA-Shimba 61, Zetech College 62 KU Pirates 53, Terror 65 Blazers 56, Western Delight 31 USIU Flames 79, Co-op Bank 49 Nairobi Aviation College 41. By Francis Marangu