KPA women qualify for basketball league playoffs

Betty Kananu (left) of KPA has all her ways blocked by Equity Bank players in a Kenya Basketball Federation ladies National Basketball League championship at the KPA Makande GYM, October 30, 2016. KPA won 65-45. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) women basketball team kept their unbeaten run intact after they beat Equity Bank in a national basketball league match at the Makande Indoor-gymnasium at the weekend.

The victory was a major boost for KPA, who lead the league standings as they head to the final match against Kenyatta University next week in Nairobi.

Their match against KU will not be of much value, as the coastal ladies have already booked their playoffs ticket following their 65-45 triumph over Equity.

The two teams tied 8-8 in the first quarter, before KPA took a slim 14-13 lead in the end of the second quarter. However, the former champions extended the gap in the third quarter, winning 19-8 and wrapped up the fourth with a convincing 24-16 score.

Seline Okumu was the top scorer with 16 points and Yvonne Akinyi added 10 more for the winners. Mercy Wanyama scored 12 points for the bankers, while Samba Mjomba had eight.

But while KPA women were celebrating their victory, their men's team was not as lucky as they lost 67-52 to Equity Bank at the same venue. Both teams tied 15-15 in the first quarter, but the bankers never looked back as they won the other quarters with much ease.

The loss puts the dockers in an awkward position. They needed to win two of their remaining matches to qualify for the play-offs.

The team's assistant coach Philip Onyango said they are determined to keep a clean sheet in their title campaign.

"We are not thinking of losing a single match. We are the only team that has not lost this season and want to maintain the same form as we head into the play-offs," said Onyango, adding that the side has combined experienced and young players, who have fitted well.
"It is a big possibly we shall continue to dominate women basketball in the country for the next five years," said Onyango, who also coaches reigning East Africa secondary schools girls basketball champions Kaya Tiwi School of Kwale County.