KPA hammer Warriors to lead series 2-1

Former Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) are one win away from lifting the 2021 championship as they won Game Three of Five to lead the series 2-1 against Ulinzi Warriors. 

The Sammy Kiki-led men are looking to dethrone the military side and wasted no time in making their intentions in Nairobi know as they dominated the match for a 50-71 win.  

"These are fruits of the hard work we have put into preparing for this match. The team has been training together way before the series began the chemistry is evident. Our defense was top notch and there is room for improvement on defense. This is a match we would have won by a bigger margin had our offense been on the same level as defense," said Kiki.  

Warriors had Vincent Juma, Erick Mutoro, Joseph Khaemba, Victor Bosire and Byron Mabonga start while Ken Wachira, Lennox Wanje, skipper Martin Kitong'o, Kenya Morans Job Byron and John Wiljass beginning. 

KPA started the match on a high, despite turning the ball over immediately after winning the jump ball, capitalising on Ulinzi's jittery fingers to go 2-14 up before William Balozi could ask for his first timeout. 

It took Warriors six minute to get their second basket courtesy of a Mutoro steal and Bosire's fast break to trail 4-18 as the soldiers' tactician made his first change, bringing in Joseph Owino for Juma. 

Kiki, almost immediately, brought in Nick Ogol and Victor Odendo as Balozi substituted Khaemba for Tiberious Menya. It was KPA who continued to score, albeit from the free throw line for the score to read 4-20 with about a minute on the clock. The first quarter ended 8-20 in favour of the dockers. 

Warriors put up a little resistance in the second period but that was shortlived as the dockers got their groove back and hammered home threes to double their lead at 15-30. 

It was a messy affair and a downward trajectory for Warriors with turnover after another and bad defence leaving KPA with a clear pass to the basket as the half time whistle went with KPA holding a comfortable 19-point advantage at 18-37. 

"Our performance was wanting from the get go. We missed easy baskets, our balancing of the court was off, we missed from the free throw line and allowed KPA to capitalise on our shaky show for an easy win.

We have to one back better for Game Four and with no time to train and correct our mistakes, I only expect my players to rest and come for the encounter rejuvenated for a fight," said Warriors' tactician Balozi.

The second half began with KPA turning the ball over to Warriors as Mutoro hammered a trey home to cut the deficit to 16 at 21-37 before a period of dry nets ensued. Wachira scored a trey of his own to take the difference back to 19 at 21-40. 

The inform Wachira wasn't done as he scored two more three-pointers, sending the fans in the gym into celebratory mode as he extended KPA's lead to 23 points as the Warriors bench and fans desperately watched the match slip out of their hands. 

With five minutes to play, KPA hit the half century mark as Warriors wallowed in pain, halfway off at 25 points from two and a half quarters on the floor, albeit nit a surprising scoreline for snyone who witness the soldiers' performance. 

Warriors hit the 30-point mark with a trey by Owino and a basket by Joshua Okumu to trail 31-57. Ogol went to the free throw line and brought KPA to within a point of hitting 60. 

The score read 33-61 at the end of the third period, Ogol stealing the ball off a Warriors inbound on their own half to score the last basket of the quarter. 

The match was as good as done for Warriors in the final period and they continued to commit the same atrocities, albeit on a small scale, against a KPA side that sat pretty well aware there was no threat to their throne.