Title in sight for KPA after claiming first-leg advantage

Kenya Basketball League men defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) are inches away from retaining the title after thrashing Ulinzi Warriors 77-74, 71-55 in Game One and Two respectively of the final playoffs at the Nyayo Gymnasium at the weekend.

The Mombasa based club shocked Ulinzi in Game One coming from 22 points down to emerge winners. The soldiers took an early lead at half time leading 41-19 but this could not hinder the dockers who fought to the last man winning in third and fourth quarters to claim a 77-74  win with Victor Bosire showing his class by scoring 26 points for the Mombasa based side.

In Game Two on Sunday, KPA started awfully losing 06-13 in the first quarter but they revived themselves in the second quarter winning 22-18. In third quarter they continued to show why they are the defending champs defeating the soldiers 31-13 before narrowly winning the fourth quarter 12-11. This time round, James Mwangi was the star scoring 22 points while Victor Bosire scored 18 points, as Eric Mutoro scored 21 for the  soldiers.

The antagonists go head -and-head again this weekend in Mombasa in Game Three, Four and Five in the five-game series final playoffs though KPA need just one win out of the three left matches to defend the title.

By being finalists, the two sides have earned the ticket to represent the country in the Zone Five Championship next year.

“We have great momentum and the league is now ours to lose,” KPA captain, Samuel Ocholla enthused after the weekend act.

His opposite number William Otieno believes the battle is far from over.

“It’s not yet over till the last whistle of Game Five. It’s upon us to go back to the drawing board. We played badly and I trust my team since we are not yet done, we want the trophy as much as KPA wants it,” Confident Otieno said.

With the stakes high, it’s a wait-and-see scenario whether Ulinzi bounce back to shock the champions, having pulled a similar act in the semis coming down 2-0 to win 3-2.