High stakes as play-off semis roster takes shape
What you need to know:
- After convincingly beating Eagle Wings 78-43 in play-off quarter-finals Game One on Saturday, KPA won Game Two 79-31 on Sunday to complete the series 2-0.
- The battle for promotion to the top league remains tricky as all teams in men’s Division One league are tied 1-1 .
The tough competition witnessed at the weekend during play-offs quarter-final matches of the National Classic basketball league at Nyayo National stadium has thrown the title fight wide open, with all the four women’s teams in the final four capable of challenging for the title.
At the same time, men and women’s Division One games to determine which teams earn promotion to the top league next season proved equally explosive, with all but one of the best-of-five games tied at 1-1.
KPA women and Storms became the last two teams to make play-off semi-finals, joining champions Equity Bank women and University of Nairobi ‘s Dynamites who had earlier dismissed Tangit Sparks and Zetech University at the quarter-finals stage.
The men’s roster is however not complete. KPA men and Strathmore Blades meet in Mombasa for the return leg this weekend following KPA’s 86-73 win in Game One in Nairobi.
Already in semis
Ulinzi Warriors, Thunder and Emyba are already in the semi-finals. Thunder are programmed to play Emyba, while Ulinzi Warriors wait to play the winner of the match between KPA and Blades.
KPA women have a date with an unpredictable Storms, while Equity face the vastly-improved University of Nairobi in the women’s semi-final matches this weekend.
To reach the semis, Storms beat KPA women 73-72 in the first leg match in Nairobi, but KPA turned tables on their opponents in Mombasa, winning 84-37 to set up tricky semi-final fixtures.
Equity Bank narrowly lost 50-52 to KPA in the return leg in Mombasa but the University of Nairobi’s Dynamites are not likely to be pushovers if their recent form which saw them dismiss Zetech 2-0 in the quarter finals is anything to go by.
KPA women are also due to compete in Fiba Africa Club Championships from December 6 to 15 in Cairo. They saw off Eagle Wings 2-0 while Storms came from behind to beat Strathmore University Swords 2-1 to make the semis.
After convincingly beating Eagle Wings 78-43 in play-off quarter-finals Game One on Saturday, KPA won Game Two 79-31 on Sunday to complete the series 2-0.
The battle for promotion to the top league remains tricky as all teams in men’s Division One league are tied 1-1 .
