Basketball: KPA, Equity Hawks through to FIBA Zone Five quarterfinals

KPA's Forward/Post player Jemima Omondi [right] controls the ball with Post Player Beryl Millungo in readiness for an offensive move during their encounter with Young Sisters of Burundi in the on-going FIBA Africa Zone Five games in Dar-es-salaam on Monday. 27th September 2022.[Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Local women's basketball champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Equity Hawks are through to the quarterfinals of the Fiba-Africa Zone Five Club Championship currently going on in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.

KPA sealed their quarters after edging off Rwanda Energy Group (REG) 67-48 at Mkapa Indoor Stadium on Wednesday evening to finish top of Group C with four points.

Kenya Lioness guard Victoria Reynolds finished with a game-high 22 points and four assists followed by Kristina Morgan posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Dockers had kicked off their title defence on the front foot after seeing off Young Sisters of Burundi 69-42 in their opener match staged, on Monday evening.

On Wednesday, KPA led 18-8 in the first quarter before taking a healthy 35-16 lead at the break after another big 17-8 second quarter show.

The Rwandan outfit fought back in the final half but the damage was already done as they played out 17-17 and 151-15 third and fourth quarter draws which saw the Kenyans win 67-48.

The win saw KPREG managed to beat KPA from Kenya in two consecutive friendly games in May when the Kenyan side had gone to Kampala for a pre-season tournament. The two matches ended 55-44 and 46-38 in favor of the hosts.

Elsewhere, Kenya's second representatives at the Dar es Salam games also reached the last eight after bouncing back to winning ways with a dominant 78-37win over Nile Legends of South Sudan.

After losing 51-49 to Egyptian heavyweights Alexandria in their Group A opener, Equity Hawks needed to defeat Nile Legends so as to advance.

The victory saw Equity Bank Hawks finish second on the three-team group standings with three points from one win and a loss.

Nine teams are taking part in the competition with the top two from the thee groups, as well as two best losers advancing to the quarters.