Equity Dumas pile more misery on former champs Ulinzi Warriors

Kennedy Dwalo of Equity Dumas and Strathmore Blades' Dan Mbugua in action at Nyayo Gymnasium. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Equity Dumas yesterday beat former champions Ulinzi Warriors 60-56 in a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Men's Premier League match played at the United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) grounds. 

The win saw the bankers make six wins out of 11, while it was yet another tough day in office for the soldiers who gave newly promoted Moischers Basketball Club their first win of the season last weekend.

Warriors, who finished third last season after losing to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 3-2 in the semi-finals of the best-of-five series, also won six and lost five of their first-leg matches.

A dismal second-quarter display cost the soldiers victory despite an impressive start that saw them win the first block 20-12.

Dumas recovered to command the second even as Ulinzi seemed to be struggling on all ends of the court. Equity scored 14 points against Warriors four to take a 26-24 half-time lead.

On resumption, the bankers maintained their dominant show to win the third quarter 21-16 for a six-point advantage going into the final 10 minutes.

Ulinzi tried to stage a comeback in the fourth quarter, but Equity remained focused, limiting their chances of scoring more points and overturning their lead. The soldiers scored 16 points, three more than the bankers, but the damage had already been done in the second and third quarters.

In the Women’s Premier League title chase, Th3 Swish maintained their good run with a 69-63 win over the University of Nairobi (UoN) Dynamites.

The victory saw Th3 Swish bag their sixth win of the season and enhance their chances of ending their first leg campaign in the top five. The loss dimmed the Dynamites hopes of breaking into the play-offs bracket by the end of the first leg.