Co-op, KPA trade victories in basketball leagues

Lanky Kevin "Kigs" Kigotho put up a masterclass performance as Co-operative Bank of Kenya continued to dominate champions Kenya Ports Authority, wining 60-57 in a tough National Classic league match on Sunday at the KPA Hall, Mombasa.

KPA women however avenged for their men’s defeat with a massive 70-24 victory over Co-operative Bank to stretch their unbeaten run to five games. 

The matches, the first for the dockers at home, also saw Co-op shatter KPA men’s four-match unbeaten run condemning them to position nine on the log.

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It was also a rude welcome to former Ulinzi Warriors utility player Victor Odendo, who was playing for KPA men for the first time in front of their local fans since quitting Ulinzi and the duo of Joseph Ouma and Ariel Okal who were returning to the Coastal side after three years break.

“I did my homework well and knew that I would catch KPA on transition since I have a youthful team with a lot of energy and speed”, and elated Co-op coach Carrey Odhiambo said after the match.

In the men’s encounter, a cracker, KPA men were down 16-17 in the first quarter. They were also outscored 12-17 in the second quarter to trail 28-34 at half time.

Job Byron, returning from injury, and James Mwangi and Joseph Khaemba, also coming back after a month out doing duty for the national team in Cairo, combined so well with Kevin Kigotho, traded from United States International University, to give KPA difficult moments.

On song Arou Ramadhan, Victor Bosire and Victor Odendo did all they could especially in the last quarter, but could not contain the speedy Co-operative Bank outfit.

“We played badly and lost to a more technical side,” said KPA men head coach Sammy Kiki.