We’ll slaughter you, Strathmore warn rivals KPA

Bring on Kenya Ports Authority! That’s what Strathmore University’s “Blades” screamed after they shocked former champions Ulinzi Warriors, knocking them out in the semi-finals of the National Classic Basketball League to reach the final for the first time.

They won the duel 3-1, posting one of the league’s biggest upsets in recent times.

And the students did not only book their ticket to the finals, but also a chance to represent the country at this year’s Africa Zone Five championships in Rwanda.

“Blades”, with an average age of 22 years on their roaster, saw off the six-time champions Ulinzi in the best-of-five semi-final series. Joseph Ongoro, Brian Onyango, Fidel Okoth, George Okoth, Emmanuel Solja and Samuel Mogoko are some of the young stars Strathmore relied on to tame Ulinzi.

They now face KPA whom they beat in Nairobi but lost to in Mombasa during the regular season.

Immediately after the final buzzer at the Strathmore grounds in Nairobi on Sunday evening, Strathmore coach Tony Ochieng put their play-offs finals opponents on notice.

FINISH THE JOB

“I just hope that KPA are aware of what a blade is designed to do: Chop, slice or scrap any surfaces or materials, and this is exactly what we are going to do to them,” an ecstatic Ochieng said in a post-match interview.

He said beating an experienced Ulinzi was not a mean achievement and his boys are determined to finish the job when they meet KPA in the finals for the main prize.

At the weekend, “Blades” who had tied the series 1-1 the previous weekend, beat Ulinzi 63-60 in overtime after the teams were locked 55-55 in regulation time to lead the series 2-1 on Saturday, but finished the job on Sunday with an emphatic  73-53 win against the stunned soldiers.

While Blades were torturing the soldiers in Nairobi, KPA men and women teams were easily booking their tickets to the finals dismissing their opponents 3-0.

KPA women had beaten the students of USIU women 2-0 in Nairobi and their 91-37 win in Mombasa meant they booked the ticket against defending champions Equity who have been lying in wait after beating Cooperative Bank 3-0 in the other women’s semi-final.

Cooperative Bank have themselves to blame after skipping their first two games against KPA men in Nairobi leaving themselves with a steep mountain to climb. The bankers must beat KPA 3-0 in Mombasa to make final.