NAIROBI (Kenya) - The second edition of the East African Basketball Championship Cup (EABCC) got underway on Sunday, 5 October at Nyayo Gymnasium with Kenyan sides Umoja and Ulinzi Warriors picking crucial wins, against Les Hippos and Stein Warriors, in the six-team competition.
These victories put the two teams at the top of their respective groups, improving their chances of securing a direct ticket to the semi-finals, as the top team in each group advances.
Umoja now top Group A, which includes national rivals Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), while Ulinzi are at the top of Group B, which also includes Ethiopia's Gambela.
Find below a review of the opening day of the 2025 EABCC.
Umoja got off to a flying start with a win against Les Hippos
Dismas Mbaka and Griffin Ligare combined for almost half of Umoja's points as the Nairobi-based side played for an 89-79 win against Burundi's Les Hippos, to get the second edition of the Zone Five competition, going.
Mbaka, despite a less-than-expected 2-of-8 from range led the scoring with 25 points, seven more than Ligare as skipper Faheem Juma added 14, James Mwangi's double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds cementing an astounding performance for the Kenyan side.
"With just five days between the conclusion of Kenyan league action and the start of the championship, and our preparations were not the best. Having made significant changes to our playing unit coming here, this win is good for us as it boosts our confidence, and chances of advancing to the Semis as we chase the title," Umoja shooting guard Victor Bosire told FIBA.basketball.
The visiting side raced to a 10-0 run, catching Umoja flat on their feet but coach Isaac Munywoki called for a much-needed timeout that bore immediate fruits as Juma hit an opening three, his first of two in the opening half, to rally his side to comeback for 16-10, forcing the Burundians into a timeout.
Clement Karabona was fouled off the break, stepping on the charity stripe to make it a one-point game. Juma's layup, however, got the home side's momentum back on track, to hold on to their lead (23-21) at the conclusion of the quarter.
Umoja picked from where they left in the second stanza, scoring an early basket but a couple of empty possessions and costly turnovers gave Hippos the chance to make it 25-24 two minutes into the period. Hippos switched up their offense, slowing their plays down while making quick transitions on offense, allowing Dushime and Napoleon Abukunze to hit back-to-back threes and grab the lead at 31-28.
In a game of runs as the first half was proving to be, Umoja went on a 12-0 of their own, shutting the Burundians down spectacularly to grab their first double-digit lead at 43-31 with 3 minutes to play, the quarter ending 49-43 to see six points separate the opponents heading to the locker rooms.
An opening five minutes of absolute dominance for Umoja saw the side out score Hippos 12-4 to lead 61-47 for their biggest lead yet (14). If the opening half of the third quarter was rough for Hippos, the next three minutes would prove unplayable as the hosts did everything defensively to deny the Mnzenzamba-captained side any scoring space. The Burundians, however, had a better final minute to head to the final stanza trailing 71-55.
Hippos fought to cut back their deficit to single digits with a 12-5 run, but the home side held on in a 24-18 final quarter, in favour of the visitors, for victory. Karabona led the scoring for the visitors with 23 points, adding 14 rebounds to complete his double-double. Landry Ndikumana also contributed one with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.
"We had a good start but some costly mistakes allowed Umoja to go on runs that we struggled to recover from. We will work on such areas and fine tune on the things we got right here so we could be ready for KPA," Ndikumana, who lifted the inaugural title with Remesha, continued.
The side will hope to bounce back when they play KPA in their next match.
Ulinzi survive Stein's onslaught to win Warriors derby
Ulinzi Warriors recovered from a slow start against Tanzania's Stein Warriors to pick a hard-fought 73-67 win, a second half resurgence ensuring the military side protected their home court and move a win away from the semis.
Ulinzi's adjustments defensively, opting for a rigorous zone defense that stifled Stein's individual brilliance in the second half worked magic as the Bernard Mufutu-coached side managed to pull away for victory.
Simeon Rapudo led the scoring for Ulinzi, dropping 16 points with a 6-of-12 conversion on the paint, two more than Brans Nzioka who came two rebounds shy of a double-double. Rigan Okere, who also came two rebounds short of the same, and Elisha Odhiambo added 13 and 10 points respectively.
Stein's charge was led by Jonas Oberlin Mushi and Sisco George Ngaiza, the duo combining for 41 of the side's 57 points, with 27 and 14 respectively.
"We played against a very athletic team that was good in one-on-one defense. They were not playing as a unit, however, and we were aware they could not sustain their plays under immense pressure. After the opening half, we needed to advance our defense and play aggressively, which led to turnovers that gave us crucial possessions," offered Ulinzi Forward John Washika, adding that better communication on defense and dominating the boards in the second half was key in this victory.
After an underwhelming 6-3 in the opening five minutes of thee clash, filled with empty possessions and turnover after another, Ulinzi led 13-12 after the opening 10 minutes. The military side fought to put some distance between them and the Tanzanias, pulling away for 20-16 in the second quarter but their new-found momentum was just but a facade as Stein led against 23-22, bringing the match back to a see-saw with just under four minutes to play.
Stein maintained their momentum, playing for a 21-18 second quarter to carry a slight advantage (33-31) to the halftime break.
Washika's experience was well felt on resumption as he expertly marshalled his troops, barking orders on defense, his leadership getting Ulinzi's momentum going. They capitalised on their speed for fast breaks after forcing errors on Stein for possession.
The Tanzanians put up a fight but Ulinzi were having none of it. The Kenyan side led by double digits (47-37) for the first time in the game with 3:25 to play, forcing the Dar es Salaam semifinalists into a timeout. There was, however, no stopping the hosts who went on a 22-10 third period.
A 21-14 final quarter sealed the victory for Ulinzi, who enjoy a day's break before completing their Group matches against Gambela City of Ethipoia
FIBA