Dumas gun down Ulinzi Warriors in KBF thriller

Faisal Aden's brilliance beyond the arc proved a thorn for Ulinzi Warriors' quest to continue their unbeaten run against their Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) rivals Equity Dumas as the latter picked a 69-59 victory in a highly charged match played at Nyayo Indoor Arena. 

Aden sunk 28 past the soldiers, 16 more than Warriors' top scorer Stephan Simiyu managed and the military side had no response for his performance which in the end cost the a crucial match and subjected the Bernard Mufutu-led side to a second loss of the season. 

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Cliff Alela and Victor Ochieng added 12 and 11 to the bankers' tally with Eric Mutoro also hitting double digits at 11 for the military side. 

"This is a crucial win for my side, seeing as we had not defeated Ulinzi in the last four years. We had a slow start but we calmed down and came back strong for the win we knew we could get of we played to our strengths. 

This is a good morale booster and it gives us the impetus to fight for wins in the coming matches," offered Dumas head coach Carey Odhiambo. 

It was a tense start, both teams separated by half a basket in a lowly 2-1 scoreline with five minutes played.

Tiberious Menya and Mutoro gave Warriors five more points to lead 7-1 with three minutes on the clock as Dumas' mis-passes and failed attempts were almost unbelievable for a side that had shown tremendous growth in their previous matches. 

Regardless of the scoreline, it was coach Mufutu who felt the need for a timeout with 2.09 to play as his side had missed some sitters that would have otherwise plunged Dumas into more trouble. 

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David Kitong'o made it 9-1 but Faheem Juma responded immediately for 9-3. Dumas managed three more points from Alela as Kitong'o added to his tally for 11-6 at the conclusion of the first period. 

Dumas drew first blood in the second quarter, two treys from Aden that brought the bankers to within a point of the soldiers. 

Dumas leveled the score at 16 points from the free-throw line and went on to take the lead at 18-16 through Alela. The difference was stretched to four at 22-18 with the bankers calling the shots. With 2.13 to play, the bankers still led 26-23 and had the difference back to four at 30-26. 

The bankers picked their press from where they left making it a six-point game with six minutes to play at 42-36 but Warriors clawed back to 42-41. Victor Bosire made it 44-41 with a basket but missed a chance to add two more from the free-throw line. 

Warriors tied the score at 46 points off of a David Ouma trey but Bosire converted once from the line with Aden adding a basket for the third quarter to end 49-46 in the bankers' favour.  

Collins Sudi drew the soldiers level from beyond the arc forcing coach Odhiambo into a necessary timeout to restrategise with 8.13 to play. Aden hammered home back-to-back three pointers to separate the two sides and it was Mufutu's turn to have a word with his charges. 

With 5.36 to play, Warriors found themselves trailing nine points at 60-51, all the damage having been done by Aden. 

The soldiers had no reply for the bankers' defence with missed chances and the foul trouble they had put themselves in coming back to haunt them as lost by ten points.