Bosire stars as Ulinzi Warriors beat KPA in Game One of KBF finals

Defending champions Ulinzi Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the delayed 2021-2022 Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Premier League playoff finals after beating Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) with a basket. 

Warriors rallied twice to defeat KPA 68-66 in Game One of the best of five series played at Makande Gymnasium, Mombasa, yesterday.

The two top local basketball sides tied 15-15 in the first quarter before KPA outplayed them 19-13 in the second quarter to lead 34-28 at the break. 

In the final half, Ulinzi showed why they are the defending champions when they claimed the third quarter 24-20 before sealing the win in the final quarter with a 16-12 display to win 68-66.

Kenya Morans guard Victor Bosire scored a game-high 36 points for Ulinzi.

KPA will now have to try and win game two today in an attempt to tie the series at 1-1 and stay alive ahead of game three, four and five in Nairobi.

A win for Ulinzi Warriors on the other hand will tilt the finals in their favor heading to Nairobi next weekend.

The defending champions started the match on the front foot with guard Tiberous Menya floating jump shot giving Ulinzi the lead before Vincent Juma capped the start with the match’s first three-pointer as the visitors led 5-0 inside the opening two minutes.

KPA responded with their own three-point jump shot through point guard Lennox Wanje that was preceded by Brian Shivachi layup to tie the scores at 5-5.

Juma took the scores to 7-5 for Ulinzi with a tough layup off the glass before Victor Bosire announced himself with a three-pointer to go 10-5 ups.

Just as he did in the opening minutes, KPA guard Wanje converted his second three-point jump shot to reduce the gap to 10-8 before Martin Kitongo leveled the scores again.

KPA proceeded to take the lead for the first time in the match through Ken Wachira’s three pointer as Job Byron took the scores to 15-10.

James Mwangi, another Morans star however ensured the scores were tied at 15-15 with a late five points display at the end of the first quarter.