Equity Hawks claw KPA to level series

Equity Hawks players during their Kenya Basketball Federation Premier League Game Two play-offs final against KPA at Makande Hall in Mombasa on December 13, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT |

What you need to know:

  • Seline Okumu once again scored a game high 20 points for Equity, while Belinda Okoth had 14 points and Hilda Indasi eight.
  • KPA, who travel to Nairobi for Game Three and Four this weekend, had Brigid Nanzala scoring 13 points. while Helen Oketch had eight.

Equity Bank put up a masterclass performance dismissing champions KPA 64-47 to level the series 1-1 in a tough Game Two of the Kenya Basketball Federation women's Premier League play-offs final at Makande Hall in Mombasa on Thursday.

The bankers had lost Game One 57-67 on Wednesday and knew very well that losing Game Two would make their task of reclaiming the title harder going into game three in Nairobi.

Equity had diminutive point guard Hilda Ndegwa and Hilda Indasi to thank as their introduction in this game made an immediate impact.

Ndegwa was a thorn in the flesh of the dockers' front court penetrating at will for easy layups, while Indasi had her trade mark three point shots dropping.

After leading 16-8 in the first quarter, Equity kept up the tempo for a narrow 12-11 lead in the second quarter for a 28-19 score line at the break.

Seline Okumu started running, while Belinda Okoth and Ritah Oluoch controlled the boards for a huge 19-11 third quarter score putting the game beyond the reach of the dockers, whose starting five of Debra Atieno, Brigit Nanzala, Linet Atieno, Helen Oketch and Anrose Mandela had a bad day in office.

"Nothing worked for us today after my key players switched off even before the tip off. They really have to bring their A game in all the remaining matches if we are to successfully defend our title," KPA coach Anthony Ojukwu said after the match.

David Maina of Equity Bank was over the moon, saying the few corrections he made had worked miracles.

"We just changed a few things and won the game very easily. We wanted to win atleast one game in Mombasa and this gives us confidence going back to Nairobi," Maina said.

Seline Okumu once again scored a game high 20 points for Equity, while Belinda Okoth had 14 points and Hilda Indasi eight.

KPA, who travel to Nairobi for Game Three and Four this weekend, had Brigid Nanzala scoring 13 points, while Helen Oketch had eight.