Warriors defeat Thunder as KBF league continues

Former Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) champions Ulinzi Warriors got the better of nemesis Nairobi City Thunder in a men's league match played at Nyayo Indoor Arena on Saturday, 18 June. 

The soldiers picked a 55-39 victory against the Sadat Gaya led side in a match that could have ended either way if Thunder had kept their first half momentum going. 

In the first quarter, Bernard Mufutu's Warriors led 13-5 in a low scoring first ten minutes but Gaya's charges overturned the table for a 6-12 score in the second period to trail by a basket going into the breather. 

"We had a very slow start. The players took time to settle in the match and the scoreline shows. However, there was overall improvement in how we played compared to the other two matches and that is what we intend to build on going forward," offered Mufutu. 

The second half of the match saw the two sides go toe-to-toe in the third quarter as Thunder kept their foot on the pedal, scoring 13 points against Warriors' 14 to keep the match within reach with a three-point difference. 

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Eric Mutoro and Collins Muliro got Warriors going in the final period with a trey each. As if on cue, Stephan Simiyu who emerged the side's top scorer in the game at 13 points scored back-to-back three pointers of his own to help the side outscore Thunder 22-9 for victory.

Muliro and Mutoro managed 12 points each. Thunder's Griffin Ligare managed 15 points but it was too little to make a difference in the final result despite being the match's top scorer. 

"The team is gelling well. Individual brilliance, like what Muliro did, also played a part in our performance which we hope continues getting better with each match. 

We still have work to do as there are grey areas that need improving on. Our defensive sets and rebou ding on both ends of the court are some of these. The team is a work in progress but we are getting better," Mufutu added. 

In other matches, Africa Nazarene University (ANU) recovered from a slow start that saw them trail Umoja Basketball Club 14-12 in the first quarter to win a closely contested match 66-63. 

In Kisumu, Lady Bucks fell 66-34 to visiting Zetech Sparks. A controversial men's league scoresheet shows that Zetech men's team lost 85-34 to Kisumu Lakeside.

Lakeside, who are at the centre of a case in the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) had written to the federation expressing their unwillingness to continue with the 2022 league until such a time that the case will be concluded.