Perfect start for KPA in quest for WBLA return
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 10.11.25. | 09:03
The Mombasa-based side is representing the host country alongside league silver medalists Zetech Sparks who are making their debut
National basketball champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), got their campaign for one of two automatic qualifying slots at the ongoing Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone Five qualifiers off to a winning start, silencing Tanzania's Fox Divas 81-57 to go top of group A.
The former Zone 5 champions missed out on last year's WBLA in Dakar after finishing fourth in the qualifiers hosted in Zanzibar, and are keen to make a return to the continental stage as Nairobi hosts the 9-team event concluding on Saturday, 15 November.
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KPA are Kenya's most successful side on the continental stage, having won silver in the 2023 showpiece, falling to hosts Sporting Alexandria in the final.
On Sunday, in a match where five of Antony Ojukwu's charges scored in double digits, Women's AfroBasket champion Ifunanya Okoro led the tally with 18, adding six rebounds, two assists, and as many blocks, finishing with a game-high rating of 23, all in just under 18 minutes.
The Dockers capitalised on Fox's turnovers, scoring 27 off 21 turnovers while allowing just nine from 18 turnovers.
The Kenyan side dominated the paint 42-32. Their bench also made its contribution felt with a 32-11 contribution.
Another import, Cote d'Ivoire's Alima Doumbia, who has spent the last two seasons with KPA, scored 11 with Betty Kananu, reigning WBLA top rebounder Aminata Ly, and Vilma Owino adding 10 apiece.
"In this game, we tried to get our connection together. Offensively, I feel like we got a lot of good shots, but there's always room for improvement. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do defensively, and we will keep analysing this game and see where we can get better," Ly said after the match.
The hosts raced to an early 10-2 lead in the opening four minutes, but efforts from Mahewa Matewa and Evelyne Nakiyingi from range brought the Tanzanian side back into the game at 12-8, but the momentum was short-lived as KPA recovered to take the quarter 25-13.
Okoro went on a six-point run in the opening three minutes of the second, Ly taking the score to 36-22 from behind the arc as KPA's dominance came to the fore.
Fox's height disadvantage was proving their main undoing, even as they put up spirited fights on both ends of the court, trailing by 20 (51-31) at halftime.
Ojukwu rested a majority of his starting squad, four minutes into the second half, with the score at 64-35.
The 29-point cushion was, however, enough to keep the hosts safe even as Fox attempted a resurgence with a 12-11 final quarter.
Fox's charge was led by Nakiyingi, who scored 16, one more than Asinah Kabendela, adding 7 and 8 rebounds respectively in the loss.
While KPA enjoy a rest day on Monday, Fox are back on the court, chasing their first win against Uganda's Magic Stomers.
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