KPA end four-year wait to lift title
Annerose Mandela of KPA (left) celebrates after her team beat Equity Bank 74-49 win the National Classic Basketball League title on February 24, 2018 at the Makande Hall. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA |
What you need to know:
- And the long wait is finally over for Kenya Ports Authority women basketball team who on Saturday ended there four-year drought to win the National Classic Basketball League title.
- The dockers did this in style hammering defending champions Equity Bank 74-49 to win the series 3-0 in a mouth-watering final at the KPA hall Makande finishing the season with a rare unbeaten record.
- Immediately after the final whistle, KPA top brass led by General Manager Human Resource and administration Amani Komora joined the players into song and dance celebrating the win.
And the long wait is finally over for Kenya Ports Authority women basketball team who on Saturday ended there four-year drought to win the National Classic Basketball League title.
The dockers did this in style hammering defending champions Equity Bank 74-49 to win the series 3-0 in a mouth-watering final at the KPA hall Makande finishing the season with a rare unbeaten record.
Immediately after the final whistle, KPA top brass led by General Manager Human Resource and administration Amani Komora joined the players into song and dance celebrating the win.
Komora later gave the players Sh.50, 000 cash reward from himself and the KPA Managing Director.
"I am happy that we have finally won this title after a five year wait. That this came without losing a single match is gratifying ", Komora told the players, promising to fast track their quest for employment.
KPA started strongly racing to 20-09 with indefatigable Felmas Koranga, Natalie Akinyi and Betty Kananu contributing vital points as Equity Bank back peddled.
The hosts stepped up the pace in the second quarter which they dominated to lead 23-17 , for a comfortable 43-26 halftime score.
Equity Bank came to the third quarter the stronger one and outscored their opponents 18-06 to close the gap to within five points forcing KPA to regroup and take the final quarter 25-05.
Koranga had a game high 19 points, with Betty Kananu adding 13, while Hilda Indasi managed 18 points for Equity.
Equity Bank coach David Maina conceded defeat admitting that KPA were the stronger side.
" We came knowing that we had a mountain to climb and had to use a lot of energy which made it difficult for us to keep up the pace ," Maina said.
KPA coach Anthony Ojukwu was on top of the moon following the performance.
"For the last four years, I have been losing in the final with this team which has been very frustrating, but I am happy we finally did it ", Ojukwu said.
Strathmore University “Blades” cut short KPA men’s team’s celebrations when they edged them out 65-64 to force Game Four on Sunday at Makande.
