Hosts sparkle as USIU, KPA cruise to easy victories
USIU’s Linda Mfuchi grabs a rebound under pressure from KPA’s Debra Obunga in a past basketball league match. USIU beat Uganda’s UCU 45-36 while KPA hammered Water Sport from Ethiopia 86-43 in Fiba matches in Mombasa. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
- The game started at a fast pace. It was KPA, however, who managed to win the first quarter 14-12 but had an easy second quarter where they registered 29-9 victory to lead 43-21.
- KPA top marksman was Ariel Okal who scored 25 points followed by three colleagues - Tobias Onyango, Antony Matongolo and Griffin Ligale who got 12 points each.
Kenya’s United States International University (USIU) floored UCU from Uganda 45-36 in their Fiba Africa Zone Five Clubs Basketball Championship Pool B match at KPA Makande Gymnasium in Mombasa Tuesday.
The game saw USIU taking a 18-14 lead in the first quarter and were up 25-14 up at the break. In the second half, the varsity girls were also dominant in the third and fourth quarters before prevailing 45-36.
USIU’s top scorer was Lol Chan with 17 points, while Cynthia Irankunda and Georgia Otieno managed 14 and five points respectively. On the visitors’ side, the top scorer was Peace Nakirijja with nine points with Purity Odhiambo and Vilma Owino scoring eight and six points.
Earlier, Mombasa basketball fans cheered wildly as their home team Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) utilised the advantage to beat Etho Water Sport from Ethiopia 86-43 in a Pool A match.
The game started at a fast pace. It was KPA, however, who managed to win the first quarter 14-12 but had an easy second quarter where they registered 29-9 victory to lead 43-21. KPA had another tough time to win the third quarter (20-14) before winning the last quarter with 23-8.
KPA top marksman was Ariel Okal who scored 25 points followed by three colleagues - Tobias Onyango, Antony Matongolo and Griffin Ligale who got 12 points each. Ergetu Asfa was the top scorer for the Ethiopians with 14 points as Aredo Mulugeta and Deng Gatluak scoring six and five points.
In a women’s Pool B clash, Tanzania’s Don Bosco made a poor start when they bowed down 64-35 to Berco Stars of Burundi.
HAD A TOUGH TIME
The Burundians had a tough time in the first quarter despite winning 15-13 but found the going easy in three other quarters winning 16-6, 14-9 and 19-7.
Top scorers for Berco Stars were Florence Kalume (19), Ineas Nezerwa (18) and Nadege Iziguriza (14) while Saida Lyamaiga was the top scorer for the Tanzanian team. She scored 12 points with Jasmine Bablia and Rehema Silomba getting nine and seven points.
There will be eight matches today. In men Pool B, Cooperative Bank takes on Urunani from Burundi with Uganda’s Tigerhead Power playing ILS of Somalia.
