Basketball in Africa

Five-time champions, Co-operative Bank has a mountain to climb at the Zone V basketball club championships after losing its two opening games at the Makande Gymnasium, Mombasa.
They have two points from two games and must-win against Somalia’s ILS in their third match.
On Tuesday, the bankers were beaten 62-55 by Tigerhead Power from Uganda after trailing for most part of the game. The first quarter ended 22-18 in favour of the Ugandans and the second 19-14 for a 41-32 halftime lead to Tigerhead Power.
Co-op Bank bounced back to narrowly win the third quarter 14-10 but the Ugandans maintained a three points lead. Tigerhead Power carried the day with a 11-9 win in the fourth quarter.
Captain Brian Busu top scored for the Kenyans with 12 points while Paul Odong scored 15 for Tigerhead Power.
On Wednesday, Co-op Bank returned to the court against Burundi’s Urunani losing 54-62. Urunani led 31-26 at halftime after the bankers won first quarter 16-15 and the Burundians the second 16-10.
By the end of third quarter, Co-op Bank was trailing by ten points at 45-35 before losing out the battle in the fourth.
The other Kenyan representative Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) were due to play Rwanda’s Espoir on Wednesday night.
In the women category, KPA and United States International University- Africa (USIU-A) made it two wins in as many matches. In their first game, USIU-A beat UCU from Uganda 45-36 and Tanzania’s Don Bosco 72-49.
Against Don Bosco, USIU-A started strongly with a 18-10 win in the first quarter and 25-18 in the second for a 43-28 lead at the breather.
The Kenyans exerted more pressure upon resumption to win the third quarter 14-7 and the fourth 15-14.
KPA needed overtime to win 53-49 against KCCA of Uganda. The game had tied 47-all in regulation time and 24-all at the breather. KPA won the first quarter 19-12 and KCCA the second 12-5.
After sizing up each other in the second half for the stalemate, KPA stole the show in added time with a 6-2 score. KPA won first game 87-47 against Ethiopia's Government House Agency and will play last game against Rwanda's APR.
In their last game, USIU-A play Berco Stars from Burundi who beat UCU 68-49 on Wednesday.
Zone V Full Results and Fixtures
Day One: KCCA (Uganda) 61 APR (Rwanda) 36, KPA 87 Government House Agency (Ethiopia) 47, City Oilers (Uganda) 64 Espoir (Rwanda) 58, KPA 86 vs Etho Waters (Ethiopia) 43; Day Two: Berco Stars (Burundi) 64 Don Bosco (Tanzania) 35, USIU- A (Kenya) 45 UCU (Uganda) 36, Co-op Bank (Kenya) 55 Tigerhead Power (Uganda) 62, I.L.S (Somalia) 33 Urunani (Burundi) 97; Day Three: APR ( Rwanda) 64 GHA ( Ethiopia) 51, Co-op Bank (Kenya) 54 Urunani (Burundi) 62, Don Bosco (Tanzania) 49 USIU-A (Kenya) 73, KPA (Kenya) 53 KCCA (Uganda) 49 AET, Berco Stars (Burundi) 68 Vs UCU (Uganda) 49, Tigerhead Power (Uganda) Vs I.L.S (Somalia), KPA (Kenya) Vs Espoir (Rwanda), City Oilers (Uganda) Vs Etho Watersport (Ethiopia); Day 4 Fixtures- UCU (Uganda) Vs Don Bosco (Tanzania), KCCA (Uganda) Vs GHA (Ethiopia), APR (Rwanda) Vs KPA (Kenya), Ethowater Sport ( Ethiopia) Vs Espoir (Rwanda), City Oilers (Uganda) Vs KPA (Kenya), Urunani (Burundi) Vs Tigerhead Power (Uganda), Berco Stars (Burundi) Vs USIU-A (Kenya), Co-op Bank (Kenya) Vs I.L.S (Somalia).