Red-hot Equity Dumas end first leg top of KBF Premier League

Equity Dumas' Alex Onguso (left) and Dennis Koja of Blades during Kenya Basketball Premier League at The UoN Grounds on Saturday, October 8, 2022. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya Morans duo of James Mwangi and Victor Bosire were on sterling form on Saturday as they guided Equity Bank Dumas to the top of the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Premier League.

The new signings who formerly turned out for Ulinzi Warriors dropped 16 points and 14 points respectively as the bankers saw off Strathmore University Blades 72-54 in a match played at University of Nairobi grounds.

The victory, ninth of the season for coach Carey Oketch, saw Equity end the first leg of the 2022 season on top of the 12-team table with 20 points.

The bankers headed to the match ranked third at 18 points, one behind the top two teams, defending champions and leaders Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Thunder who both were not in action.

Equity ended their 11 matches with nine wins and two defeats as KPA dropped to second on 19 points with one match at hand. Thunder also has 19 points but having played 11 matches.

KPA have so far won nine matches and lost one and victory in their remaining fixture will see them regain top spot on 21 points.

"To finish top or say among the top two teams halfway through the seasons is an adrenaline boost to us ahead of the second leg. Finishing amongst the top teams gives us better match-ups when the playoffs begin and our goal is to achieve that," said Equity coach Oketch.

Hosts University of Nairobi Terror on the other hand moved joint sixth alongside Umoja and Eldonets Platinum on 13 points after seeing off Umoja 54-49 to pick their fourth win of the season.

African Nazarene University Wolfpacks maintained fifth place on 15 points after thrashing Strathmore Blades 71-47 on Sunday.

In the women's Premier League, Storms moved joint top with defending champions KPA on 18 points after seeing off ANU Panthers 46-30.

KPA women who have won all their opening nine matches of the season were not inaction over the weekend having just arrived from the FIBA Zone V Championship.

At the same time, University of Nairobi women's basketball team Dynamites moved fourth from eighth in the standings after collecting four points in their two matches played over the weekend.

The university students began their rise with a dominant 64-40 win over visiting Kisumu Lady Bucks on Saturday before completing a perfect week with a narrow 42-38 victory over Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Lynx on Sunday.

The victory, their sixth win of the season moved them fourth on 13 points and with four games in hand.

Zetech Sparks remained third on 15 points despite picking a 83-25 win against a seemingly hapless Kenyatta University side, Oryx.

Oryx are bottom with seven points while Lady Bucks have nine.