Former Kenya Basketball Federation Women’s Premier League champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) have thrashed Th3 Swish 84-38 in a lopsided match played at Makande Hall, Mombasa.
Former Buruburu Girls High School captain Chantal Kiyobe starred for the dockers, anchoring them to victory with an impressive 19 points.
Kiyobe, who led Buruburu to the 2019 national schools’ trophy, was a pain in the neck of Th3 Swish defenders as she troubled them for approximately 22 minutes that she was on court. Becky Nkatha and Congolese star Grace Irebu consolidated Kiyobe’s effort with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ruth Nabwire top-scored for the Ariel Okal-coached side with 12 points, while Beyonce Njoki added nine.
A poor start and a dull show in the third quarter was Th3 Swish’s major undoing, as KPA capitalised on that to punish them. The dockers, who are looking to recapture the title they lost to Equity Bank Hawks last season, owned their home court from the onset, with the starting quintet of Kiyobe, Irebu, Yvonne Atieno, Selina Okumu and Aminata Samasekou showing no regard for their guests.
Their brilliant output would see KPA take a 22-point lead by the break of the first quarter, with the score at 27-5. Th3 Swish improved in the second quarter and were able to contain KPA even as they enhanced their offensive play to score 16 points against the opponents’ 17 for a 44-21 halftime score.
On resumption, the visitors fumbled once again, allowing their hosts to win the third period 21-4 and stretch their lead to 65-25. Assured of victory, KPA slowed down in the final quarter but remained in control of the game to score 19 points against Th3 Swish’s 13 and register their 17th win.
At Nyayo, African Nazarene University (ANU) Panthers suffered a heartbreaking 49-48 defeat to Safe Spaces. The half-basket loss derailed them from their quest to avoid demotion to Division One before the end of the regular season. Panthers are among the sides that are fighting relegation, making every point count.
Despite winning the first quarter 13-12, Panthers fizzled out in the second as Safe Spaces, who are also at risk of returning to the lower tier, recovered to score 11 points against nine and take a 23-20 halftime advantage.
Panther recovered to win the third quarter 19-11, but a dismal show in the final period proved costly for them as Safe Spaces fought on to win the quarter 15-11 to secure the narrow victory. Sarah Aporo led Safe Spaces with 11 points, while Linet Atieno added 10. Panthers’ Agnes Akinyi was the match’s top scorer with 16 points, but her effort was not good enough to save her side from defeat.
In another encounter at the same venue, former champions United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Flames beat University of Nairobi (UoN) Dynamites 67-56 to enhance their chances of securing a top five finish. Flames, who last won the title in 2015, are among the top contenders for this season’s gong.
