School games: Defending champions off to winning start

Purity Mtsavi (left) from Kaya Tiwi High School in Kwale County dribbles the ball past Fahim Kassim (right) of Mama Ngina Girls from Mombasa County in one of the girls opening basketball matches during the Coast Region Term One Ball Games at Shimo la Tewa high school, March 14, 2019. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

Defending champions sent strong warning as Coast Region secondary schools Term One games began yesterday at Shimo La Tewa High School and Shanzu Teachers Training College in Mombasa.

National girls’ basketball champions Kaya Tiwi School were in a class of their own as they defeated Mombasa’s Mama Ngina 104- 12.

Playing as if they were on a daily training session, Kaya Tiwi dominated the proceedings taking a comfortable 23-3 lead in the first quarter. Vinda Adhiambo and Himdat Mohammed scored 18 and 14 points respectively for Kaya Tiwi while Nicol Doubleday bagged six points for Mama Ngina.

“It was a morale-boosting win and we are determined to retain the title,” said Kaya Tiwi captain Yvonne Atieno.

In another girls’ match, Aga Khan Academy lost 37-24 to St John’s Kaloleni of Kilifi County, while former champions Bura of Taita Taveta blanked Vigurungani 77-14 in a one-sided match.

In boys’ basketball, title holders Aga Khan Academy got off to a winning start dismissing Kwale’s representatives Shimba Hills 62-37 after taking a 36-19 lead at half time.

Meanwhile, Nairobi Region boys and girls basketball champions Dagoretti High and Buruburu yesterday won their respective quarter-final matches at State House Girls to inch close to retaining their titles.

Dagoretti, who are seeking to win a second regional title and secure their place at next month’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association national Term One Games for the second time in a row, beat Starehe Boys 40-20 to reach today’s semi-final.

Ali Abubakar and Said Mohammed top scored for Dagoretti with 11 points each while Graig Muthee led Starehe with seven points.

The first quarter was evenly contested but it was holders Dagoretti who took a 9-6 lead. With their title on the line, Dagoretti upped their game and scored more points to take the second quarter 11-2 for a comfortable 20-8 half-time lead.

They sunk 20 more points in the third and fourth quarters against Starehe’s 12 to secure a semis date with Langata, who thrashed Highway 53-19 in their last eight tie.

Michael Garang, Makuer Macout and Malek Deng anchored Langata to victory against their slow-moving opponents.

Garang was Langata’s top scorer with 11 points, Macout and Deng scored eight points each while Eugine Odek led Highway with nine.

In hockey, it was the end of the road for last year’s girls' champions Mt Laverna, who lost 1-0 to State House Girls.