Champs St.George’s stunned in Coast Region opener

Defending champions St. George’s started their title defense on a wrong footing after losing 33-39 to Aga Kgan Academy in the boys’ basketball opening match in Pool A as the Coast Region Games kicked-off Thursday at Kenyatta High School in Taita Taveta.

The titleholders trailed 12-16 in the first quarter before rallying 11-4 in the next but Aga Khan breezed through the third and the fourth 6-7 and 4-12 to stun the favourites.

Reverton Ochieng top scored for the winners with 11 with teammate and Russian, Alisher Abdumamanov also getting double figures with 10. The beaten champs had Jillo Geoffrey and Kwatch Luka contribute nine and eight to their effort.

In the other Pool A clash, Mazeras High humbled Kenyatta High 57-42 (12-17,10-9,14-12,16-19) with Makima Michael top scoring with 17 for the winners as Ali Bakari added nine.

Kenyatta’s leading scorers were Kichengela Mwamodo (12) and Andrew Karisa (11).

Pool B has Gede from Kilifi, St. Mary’s Taita and Mpeketoni who represent Lamu County.

In the girls basketball, Murray will face Waa from Kwale and St John’s Kaloleni in Pool ‘A’ while Pool ‘B’ will have hosts Mwakitawa, Aga Khan Academy (Mombasa) and Aya Tiwi (Kwale) who are the new queens of the region with action continuing through to Saturday.

The three-day event will be used to select the Coast teams for the national games set for Bungoma next month.

Others draws are as follows;

Boys hockey:

Pool ‘A’ Kenyatta, St Charles Lwanga and St. George’s.

Pool B: St Mary’s, Shimo la Tewa and Kinango.

Girls’ hockey: Bura, St Charles Lwanga and Ribe;

Pool ‘B’: Murray, St John’s Kaloleni and Matuga.

Rugby: Pool ‘A’: Kenyatta, Mwavumbo, Galana and Khamis;

Pool ‘B’: Mghallu, Wiyoni and St George’s and Timbila.

The defending champions are Hockey Girls St. Johns and St Charles Lwanga Boys.

Rugby fifteens are St. Georges while in Basketball Boys and Girls it is Shimba Hills and St. Georges respectively.

Boys will be accommodated at Kenyatta Mwatate high school while the girls will be at Murray Girls.