NAIROBI (Kenya) - On the second day of the 2025 East Africa Basketball Championship Cup (EABCC), the two teams that lost on the opening day secured crucial wins that left both Groups A and B wide open.
Les Hippos of Group A and Stein Warriors of Group B were the day's victors, leaving KPA and Gambela needing to win on the final day of group games.
Mushi stars again as Stein bounce back against Gambela
Gambela City may have had the support of the fans, but the Stein Warriors fought hard to secure their first win in Group B, beating their opponents 69-54.
The Tanzanians had lost their Monday match to Kenya's Ulinzi Warriors, with a final score of 73-57.
For the second game in a row, Jonas Oberlin Mushi was the top scorer for his team, shooting 7-of-16 from the floor to guide them to victory.
Lerry Rostand Essono was the only other player to reach double figures, scoring 10 points.
With 45 turnovers, Gambela stood no chance against Stein's more offensive side, which converted these into 44 points — 19 of which came from second chances — compared to Gambela's two. The Stein bench outscored Gambela's 16–6.
'We are happy with this win. Yesterday's game was very difficult. The biggest challenge in our loss was team chemistry, which allowed Ulinzi to exploit our weaknesses and secure the win. Against Gambela, we had to start strongly. We fought as a unit to secure this victory," Mushi told FIBA.basketball. Gambela drew first blood from behind the arc and got the ball rolling in the opening minutes, but their momentum was cut short by two quick three-pointers from Mushi, which put the side on a 14-0 run and gave them a 21-7 lead.
Cheered on by the sizeable crowd at Nyayo, the Ethiopian side kept knocking down shots, each point drawing celebratory cheers from the fanbase. A buzzer-beating three from Bekam Okello saw Gambela head into the second quarter trailing 22–17.
Despite playing without a coach, Gambela caused the Tanzanians all sorts of trouble, tying the match at 25 points and going on to take their first lead at 30–29, albeit briefly. The second quarter ended 14-14, making it 36-31 at halftime. "We do not want to lose any other match. We had a tough start but we are ready for any opponent going forward. We have a talented team with players who have experience in the zone. I have been on this platform, albeit with different sides and that has come in handy in leading the team in the championship," Mushi added, rallying his troops to go stronger in the next encounter. In the opening two minutes of the second half, the Ethiopians caught up again at 36, but Stein switched up their defence to shut them down with an 18–2 run in about three minutes, making it 54–38 and totally taking control. The quarter ended 23-9, making it a 19-point game.
Gambela put up a fight in the final quarter, but it was too little, too late to earn them any points.
'It was a tough awakening for us as it was our first time. Everything is different from what we are used to back home, and the quality of the players is really high. However, we put on a good show for our massive fanbase. We expect a better performance in the next match based on this experience," said Gambela City captain Jikany Riek.
KPA no match for solid Les Hippos
In the highest-scoring game of the second edition yet, Burundi's Les Hippos captain, Jonathan Monze Nzamba, led by example with a man-of-the-game performance, scoring 31 points in crucial moments to beat the home side, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), 98–83.
Following an 89–79 loss to another Kenyan team, Umoja, the seasoned Hippos took an early lead against the Mombasa-based KPA, racing to a 15–8 advantage that spelled trouble for the Dockers. Patrick Nkurunziza's team maintained their momentum to lead 26-18 in the opening quarter.
'We changed our mindset because we felt that was our main undoing yesterday. We also played better defence and worked well as a team, and that helped us win. We still have some work to do, especially defensively. While our offence was good, we need to work on our teamwork and approach every game with a winning mindset," Romis Bujeje, the only player to post a double-double for Nkurunziza's side, told FIBA.basketball.
KPA played a better second quarter, to level Hippos on 18-18, but they had got into foul trouble early and that plunged them in deeper trouble, at times being forced to play without a centre as both Bramwel Mwombe and Tom Wamukota were on the blinker, and eventually fouled out in the final quarter. Salim Kisilu (19) and Eugene Adera (16) led the hosts in a comeback attempt in the second half, Tobias Odhiambo making crucial contributions in the fourth, but costly turnovers ensured they never came closer than a six-point game throughout the period. A 26-23 third quarter and 28-24 final stanza show assured Hippos a win that could lead them direct to the semis, all depending on how the two Kenyan rivals Umoja and KPA play. "It's been a bit hard for us as we didn't play to our potential. We did not work as a team and we also went too hard and got into foul trouble, keeping our main centres out. We, however, take this positively. It could work in our favour as we now have a feel of the game and have a chance to go harder against Umoja," KPA's small forward, and skipper, Gerry Mukhwana said. FIBA