KEN - KCB Lions and Co-op Bank resumes league action with easy wins

NYAYO (premier league) - Giants KCB Lions and Co-operative Bank of Kenya resumed league actions over the weekend with easy wins following matches played at the Nyayo National Stadium gymnasium over the weekend.
 
National champions Lions roared to an emphatic 84-52 win over Lomboritz while Co-op Bank was lively in their 95-73 thrashing over International Christian center (ICC). It was their two giants first local engagement after the Uganda tournament two weks ago.
 
 KCB got off to a bright start taking a 17-16 advantage in the first quarter before Lions got their acts together in the second. Lomboritz was on the defensive most of the time trailing 11-26 as on form Tobias Onyango and Victor Odendo ran rings around  their opponents.
 
Lions, who were placed third in the Fiba Africa Zone Five club champioships in Kampala, shot up 19-13 in the third and finished the job with a strong 23-11 edge in the last.
 
Onyango led the bankers with 28 points while Odendo added 25. For the losers, it was  Rogers Magat who nailed 16 while Melvin Oketch connected for another 14.
 
George Kamau gave the regional champions the opener in this game played before a sparse crowd after nearly two minutes of missed chances. Bobby Okwako turn over then gifted James Omune with an easy basket to tie the scores 2-2.

Okwako made amends with one foul shot that was soon cancelled by Ben Ogolla who made the scores 3-3. Ogolla then hit a basket as ICC took their only lead of the game at 5-3 before Okwako levelled it again 5-5.

Moses Kamau three pointer saw Co-op race away 12-5 and it was all systems go afte this effort. Ali Salim then nailed two three pointers and then fed Richard Osano for a slam giving Co-op a 26-18 cushion and a first quarter lead.
 
In the second quarter, Osano stretched the lead to a 32-18 scoreline, Ali made it 36-18 on another three and a Patrick Odhiambo dunk saw the lead swell to 39-18 before ICC could find the target with their first point on a free shot by Ogolla.

After the break, ICC a team that took the league by suprise and missing star guard Griffin Ligare seemed to have nothing on offer to match a fired up Co-op who also missed the lethal Alan Ouma and made substitutions at will to great success.

Co-op enjoyed this game pounding ICC left, right and center with some deadly accuracy and hard running. Osano led the rout with 21 points, Kamau hit 14, Brian Busu 16 while Ali chipped in with 11. For ICC, Phil Dinga led all scorers with 27 and Ogolla hit 14.
 
Universityof Nairobi "Trerrorists" dismal run in the league contined when they were whipped 76-53 by Strathmore University "Blades" in another game. Strathmore continued their upward swing when they got off to a slow 12-9 start.
 
UoN then took the second 22-21 margin but where wrecked 21-9 in the third and 22-13 in the last.
 
Ken Githinji scored 15 points while Ben Ogolla collected 13 for the victors, who have moved to mid table. The struggling "Terrorists", who remain the only side without a win this year, had 17 points from Rodney Genga.
 
Easter Queens playing at home in Meru, hit Strathmore University Swords 63-32 in a match played at the Kenya Methodis University courts (Kemu). The winners led 32-12 at half time and had 14 points from national team player Hilda Indasi while Linda Alando made nine. Faith Owich shot 10 and Grace Wanjiru contributed nine for winless students.

Queens won the second game 20-0 without sweat as Mennonites failed to travel to Meru to honour the tie while in Nairobi Yana also bagged a win over Sprite Storms on a walk over with a similar margin. It was not clear whey the latter did not show up.

Radhi Ndalu was good for 27 points and Bryan Wasilwa posted 10 as they guided Nairobi Pentecostal Church (NPC) to a 69-52 win over the visting Nakuru Club who had 13 points from Wilson Mwaniki and 12 from Richard Randa. NPC were up 30-23 at the breather.

In a closely fought duel, Parklands Baptist nipped World Hope 74-73 behind 22 points from Moses Abraham and 12 from Daniel Omondi, The losers, down 27-29 at the break, had 15 from Radcliffe Nyamai and 13 from Joseph Situma.
 
In the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) provincial league matches played at railways Club, Nairobi Aviation College (NAC) beat Friends of Basketball (FOB) 65-59 behind 16 points from  Jeff Kileta and 15 from Mike Makiadi. The losers had 20 from Joseph Achega and 15 from Zico Kadir.
 
Trailblazers blanked Nairobi Deaf Kings (NDK) 66-45 as Steve Okwako nailed 17 points and Godfrey Abuya added 12. NDK had 13 from Juma Kenta and 12 from Mark Mugambi.
 
Don Bosco pipped Balozi 56-55 in a game that saw Don Obinga scored 15 and Mike  Nyaga added 16. Balozi had 14 each from  David Wainaina and Dennis Ombongi.

Dann O'Werre
FIBA Africa