KPA dethrone Hawks in cut-throat KBF series

After a two-year absence in the Kenyan basketball scene, Anthony Ojukwu, made a comeback, taking charge of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Ladies and guiding them to the championship.

The series moved to Mombasa tied at 1-1 after the first two games in Nairobi and Ojukwu had maintained that they had what it takes to win the series. Game Three, played on Saturday, ended 77-63 in favour of the dockers to put them on a 2-1 advantage ahead of the Sunday match.

"This is my sanctuary. Anyone coming to Makande must be very prepared and there was no doubt that we would win the championship. I am proud of my players and really happy to win the championship. I have maintained that I had a title-winning squad and this has come to pass," offered an elated Ojukwu.

The KPA tactician had handed starting berths to Hilda Indasi and Natalie Akinyi on guard duties while youngster Medina Okot, Seline Okumu were the starting forwads with Vilma Achieng on bigman duties.  

Hilda Ndengwa and Samba Mjomba assumed guard duties for the bankers as Salma Akinyi, Betty Kananu and Belinda Okoth executed in the forward positions. 

The dockers started strong, taking a five-point lead at 2-7 a difference that snapped the bankers out of dreamland to rally for a 6-7 score line with six and a half minutes left on the clock. 

Belinda scored a mid-range jumper to hand Hawks the lead for the first time at 8-7 but the dockers quickly regained control at 8-9 through Okot and were leading 8-11 when Hawks made their first change on the court. 

In came Kenya Lionesses forward Melissa Akinyi in place of Ndengwa but her presence was not immediately felt, despite the bankers narrowing the score to trail by half a basket at 12-13. KPA pulled away to lead by ten points at 12-22 at the first quarter break. 

The dockers picked from where they left Natalie extended the lead to 12 points in the first few seconds of the period.

With five minutes and 22 seconds to play, Hawks were again forced into a timeout as KPA's ten point lead remained at 19-29. The break, however, did little to deter the dockers who stretched their lead to 14 at 33-19 

Hawks brought the difference down to single digit numbers for the first time at 29-37 with a minute to go after Belinda's jumper. 20 seconds later Ndengwa, under pressure from Natalie scored a mid-range jumper to make it 31-37 and trigger a timeout from the KPA bench who sensed danger. 

KPA turned the ball over with 29 seconds on the clock but Ndengwa's attempt to bring the difference down to five went over the rim.

The dockers' possession bore no fruits to change the scoreline as the sides headed to the break with a seven point difference and the pressure on the hosts not to allow the bankers to make a comeback. 

On resumption, Melissa bagged a basket on a fast break to and converted once from the free throw line to make it a three-point game at 34-37. 

Natalie went for a three-point play with a basket and a converted free throw to take the game back to a six-point game. Melissa, again lost one on the free throw line, making one for the score to read 35-40. Okot brought the difference back to seven with an uncontested mid-range jumper. 

Mjomba's brilliance from the arc made it a close four-point game and 24 seconds later Melissa brought the roof down at Makande with a swish trey for the score to read 41-42, forcing Ojukwu into a break with six minutes and 22 seconds on the third quarter clock. 

Kananu missed a three that would have handed the bankers a hard fought lead, so did Melissa as their desperate attempt to catch up gave KPA clear chances to regain control at 41-46 of off Okot's brilliance on the paint. 

Okumu scored for 41-48 but Ndengwa's trey had the bankers trailing by four at 44-48. With a minute and 42 seconds Okot was doing the dirty work on defence, thrice denying the bankers with blocks that sent the fans at Makande into a deafening frenzy.

Indasi bagged five points within the remaining time to get the dockers' control to nine points, at 44-53 heading to the final period. 

The bankers ha the inbound at the start of the final period by nine seconds in, they had turned over the ball with Indasi punishing them instantly yo take the score to 44-55. 

The match turned into a free throw affair, with Mellisa converting once for Hawks to as Rebecca Nkatha missed two for KPA and Indasi converted once for the 11 point difference to remain. Natalie was also on the line, uncharacteristically missing both for the 45-56 scoreline to remain. 

With the difference at 13 points and five minutes, 34 seconds to go, Hawks needed a break to put their house in order but little changed as KPA played great defense to deny them. Okot scored one free throw with Indesit adding a basket and a free throw to have the match at 49-66 before the nets dried for more than two minutes. 

Melissa picked an easy basket on a fast break to reduce the advantage to 15 at 51-66. Not even Mjomba and Kananu treys in the dying minutes of the match could derail KPA's determination to clinch the title. 

Ojukwu went on one last pep talk with the players with 11 seconds on the clock but little mattered as the side had a good enough cushion, the match ending 64-70.