USIU, KPA teams trade victories in league ties
Alex Ramazani of USIU-A out-dribbles Thunder's Shem Otieno at a past match. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
- Congolese import Alex Ramazani was on fire scoring a game high 28 points as Students of United States International University (USIU) hit defending champions Kenya Ports Authority men 79-72 in a tough National Classic basketball league match at Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium.
- As expected, KPA women avenged the loss by their men’s team, defeating USIU women 65-32 in a lopsided encounter at the same venue.
- Against KPA men who were still starting from their previous lose to Co-operative Bank, Ramazani, the team’s playmaker, win as unstoppable, running rings round KPA with a great combination of outside and inside play, getting 15 of his points from behind the arc.
Congolese import Alex Ramazani was on fire scoring a game high 28 points as Students of United States International University (USIU) hit defending champions Kenya Ports Authority men 79-72 in a tough National Classic basketball league match at Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium.
As expected, KPA women avenged the loss by their men’s team, defeating USIU women 65-32 in a lopsided encounter at the same venue.
Against KPA men who were still starting from their previous lose to Co-operative Bank, Ramazani, the team’s playmaker, win as unstoppable, running rings round KPA with a great combination of outside and inside play, getting 15 of his points from behind the arc.
KPA men started strongly, leading 16-11 and 16-08 in the first and second quarters for a comfortable 32-19 first half lead. But the rain started beating the dockers in the third quarter as the students outscored them 31-13 to lead 50-45 at the end of the third.
A 17-12 KPA win the fourth only helped to tie the game 67-67, forcing for an extra time which the students won 79-72.
“It was a game of chance but the students had the last laugh. We live to fight another day”, coach Sammy Kiki said, emphasising the need for his players to step up their training.
USIU captain Ramazani was happy that teamwork had helped them win the game.
“We came into this game as underdogs but shear hard work and determination did the trick for us,” he said.
Another top scorer for USIU was Alvin Nyangweso with 23 points while KPA had Victor Electric Ochieng scoring 10 points.
In the women’s match, KPA led 18-05 in the first quarter and 15-10 in the second for a 33-15 halftime lead. Georgia Adhiambo top-scored with 13 points and Betty Kananu managed 12 points while Celia Atieno had eight points for the students.
In a women’s Premier League match played earlier at the same venue, Equity came from two points down at the break to beat Co-op Bank 61-51 in the match that saw Co-op Bank field US-based student Taudencia Katumbi who is in the country for a short break.
