Basketball: Lakeside face Ulinzi Warriors with semifinals at stake

Lakeside guard Sila Awuor.[Washington Onyango,Standard]

Lakeside Basketball Club will be hoping to qualify for the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Men’s Premier League semifinals with a game to spare when they travel to face defending champions Ulinzi Warriors at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.

The Kisumu based basketball club carry a 1-0 advantage to Nairobi in the best of three quarterfinals playoffs after defeating Warriors 73-61 in a thrilling game one encounter played last weekend at Manyatta Arabs in Kisumu.

Speaking to Standard Sports, Lakeside head coach Dismas Oketch said nothing is impossible after his team shocked the champions in Kisumu.

“The team fancies its chances this season and ready to finish the job on Saturday against the defending champions. The team has matured and can easily close out games.”

“We have enjoyed massive support from our fans and we want to pay their loyalty through wins,” said Oketch.

Warriors will be seeking to level the series to 1-1 and force a do or die game three on Sunday.

Lakeside will be banking on their splash duo of Trevor Gari and Sila Awuor who combined for 36 points last week to guide the team to semis.

Veteran William Ochieng was Ulinzi’s shining light as he dropped his team’s game-high of 20 points while seasoned point guard Erick Mutoro sunk 15 points.

Other matches will feature KPA host Eldonets having defeated the Eldoret based club 86-66 in game one as Thunder who saw off Blades 68-39 seek to make it to the semis too.

KBF Playoffs Game two

Men

KPA v Eldonets

Ulinzi Warriors v Lakeside

Terror v Equity

Blades v Thunder

Women

KPA V Strathmore

Dynamites v Storms

Equity v ANU

Zetech v Eagle Wings