Moischers, Stanbic Aces head to inter-provincial playoffs as Nairobi champs

Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) 2022 season came to a close on Sunday 4 December with Moischers and Stanbic Bank being crowned the men's and women's champions respectively.

Up against Rose Mshilla-led Clique Mambas, Moischers had their bitter-sweet ending to the playoff final as they lost their unbeaten run in Game Three but managed to win Game Four to clinch the all-important title. 

Clique Mambas fell 75-54 in Game Four for a 3-1 win in the best-of-five final series but Mshilla's side had done them in with an unexpected victory in Game Three. 

Peninah Nthenya's Moischers had topped the Eastern Conference unbeaten, maintained the tempo past the round of 16, best-of-three quarters and best-of-five semis and many had expected for the final to come to a close on Saturday but that was never to be.

However, Moischers, regrouped for Game Four and from the get-go, it was clear they were not ready to let the match-up go to a decider Game Five.

Nthenya's charges led 37-24 half time and the difference remained heading to the final stanza as both sides had played for a level 12 points in the third period. 

Moischers gave everything in them for a massive final quarter score of 26-18 to seal their mainden NBA title and head to the inter-provincial playoffs set for Mombasa as champions. 

Jeff Onyango, who undoubtedly has had a superb season, with solid performance week in week out, led the new champions notching 20 points.

But a fiery Wycliffe Rayasi went two better sinking 22, Kevin Apollo managed 14 and Abdullah Said sunk another 13 for Moischers.

Onyango, in an interview admitted that his side had underated Mambas in their Game Three loss and they had to come out better to avoid losing a second match. 

Mambas who topped the Western Conference had  Alex Nzuki leading the charge with team high 18 points while the ever-green sniper Williams Onditi connected for 14.

"We started off well but a second quarter lapse did us in. In the third, it was all square but again we couldn't stop them in the last," offered coach Mshilla.

Meanwhile, Stanbic Bank Aces denied Nthenya the bragging rights to a rare double as they beat her women's side Safe Spaces to the women's title in a series that played out to a decider Game Five. 

The bankers defeated Safe Spaces 53-43 in the all-important final match, having tied the series 2-2 on Saturday with a 57-36 victory. 

"We are ecstatic. We are happy for this win. It was a hard year's work and this was the crowning moment," Stanbic's Radhi Ndalu said after the win.