Winning start for KPA, Equity cheques bounce

It's not over until It's done is a saying that will run through the minds of Equity Hawks players who lost their opening match 51-49 at the ongoing FIBA Africa Zone Five women's club championship in Dar es Salaam. 

Up against Alexandria Sporting, the bankers recovered from a slow start where they found themselves trailing 6-1 to lead the 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. 

The Egyptians scored 15 points in the second period against the David Maina-led Hawks' nine to head to the break with a four-point advantage. 

The Kenyans, however, came from the locker rooms guns blazing and scored the highest points in a quarter that match at 23 while restricting the opponent to ten points less and assume lead heading to the final quarter. 

Alexandria ate into Hawks' six-point advantage and with 27 second on the clock, the bankers found themselves leading by a single point at 49-48. Two costly turnovers and foul that send Alexandria to the free throw line saw Maina's charges go down by a single basket. 

Slyvia Kamau, the team's head coach as Maina assumes the role of technical director, said she was generally happy with the performance of the team but faulted poor execution on decisive moments and defensive lapses for the loss. 

Meanwhile, holders Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) had an easier day in the opening match of the championship as they saw of Burundi's Young Sisters 69-42. 

The Antony Ojukwu coached dockers showed little mercy for the Burundians, going on a 19-1 blow out in the first quarter before the tactician decided to mostly field his second team for the remaining part of the match. 

The second quarter ended level at 19 points. The second half was evenly contested too with Young Sisters winning the third quarter 14-12 but the final period ended 19-8 in favour of the Kenyans. 

"After that quarter I decided to work around the rotation and test everyone's preparedness for the championship. 

The second team was not as effective as I would have wanted but I have spoken to the squad and I do not expect the tempo to change when I made adjustments to the playing unit. 

I am happy with the overall performance. I had a chance to see the new players, Kristina Kings and Brittany Shine who joined the squad on Saturday morning, in action and I am impressed with how they have clicked with the rest of the squad," offered Ojukwu. 

The Kenyan teams rest on Tuesday and will be back on the court on Wednesday for their final group matches where KPA play Rwanda Energy Group (REG) while the bankers take on Nile Legends from South Sudan.