KEN - Champions KCB Lions roar past tough Posta to claim Labour Day cup

NAIROBI (Labour Day Cup) - National champions KCB Lions beat Posta 73-69 to claim the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) Labour Day tourment in a tight fiercly contested finals played at Hope Center.

This epic cliff hanger had the fans up and roaring as soon as it tipped off upto the final horn. Both teams got off the blocks with equal zeal as the two giants tied 17-17 in the first quarter. Lions roared away to trake the second quarter 21-16 and hanged on 14-8 in a low scoring third.

Sesing the game was getting out of reach, Posta regrouped and took the game to their rivals in the fourth quarter battling them pick and shovel in this entertaing tie. The losers played responded with a virtuoso show rallying to a 28-21advantage that just fell short.

Lions Tobias Onyango gave the bankers a 13 point cushion on a three pointer, before Franklin Delano's three point bomb saw the mailmen drew close 68-69 as the game swung from one end of the court to the other with three man officating team of Juma Kent, PD Osore and David Maina doing a great job.

Victor Odendo basket off a turn over by Desmond Owili and two free shot by Luka Lukongo gave KCB the edge in the waning seconds. Despite a furious last gasp efforts by the trio of Ben Oluoch, Kevin Samora and JP Nyadaro, Posta couldnt get the edge.

Odendo led KCB with 17 points while Onyango, declared MVP banged in another 15. For Posta, it was Oluoch who scored 21 and Delano hit 13. This was the first meeting between the premier and lower division champions and it was such a crowd pleasing tie.

Eagle Wings ....50 KCA......32

Eagle Wings won the ladies finals with an easy 50-32 win over Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) University. Wings led 15-8 and 18-9 in the opening two quarers but KCA locked it 13-13 in the third and trailed 4-2 in a low scoring fourth.

Ingrid Auma named MVP bagged 10 points while veteran Euinice Ouma shot 11. For KCA the lethal Linet Mukiri led all scorers with 18 points and was declared the second MVP.

In the semi finals, KCB Lions beat Uiversity of Nairobi "Terrorists" 71-43 while Posta shut out Strthmore University 65-46 in the other. Quarter finals KCB 60 International Christian Center (ICC) 41, Posta 61 Lomboritz 41, Strathmore were awared their match against Co-operative Bank of Kenya 20-0 as they failed to show up.

Full results: Lions 57 KCA 25; KCB 56 Madison 13; Co-op Bank 47 Mennonites 38, Co-op 35 Lomboritz 32; Posta 54 Strathmore University 26, Strathmore 73 Naivasha Prisons 39.

Posta 55 Parklands 33. University of Nairobi Terrorists 65 ICC 48, UoN 58 Mercenaries 35. KCA 62 Lomboritz 24. Lomboritz 51 Mennonites 38, Parklands 44 Prisons 23.

In the ladies matches, Eagle Wings 40 Yana 35, Wings 34 Mennonites 28. Strathmore University 28 ICC17, KCA 55 ICC 11.A total of 13 men's teams and six ladies sides took part in this tournament as they hope the local stalemate between KBF and teams will be resolved soon.

Dann OWERRE
FIBA Africa