Morans fall to Senegal in Afrobasket opener

National men's basketball team, Kenya Morans, lost a four-point lead at half time to fall to Africa basketball powerhouse Senegal by 51-69 in a Afrobasket qualifiers match that Senegal's Ibrahim Faye emerged the top scorer. 

Morans went into the match bearing the underdog tag seeing that Senegal is ranked second in the continent and 32nd globally while the Kenya team is in 20th place and 115th globally. Additionally, Senegal had picked a 38-point win in the November qualification window in a 92-54 outcome. 

Coaches Liz Mills and Sadat Gaya handed Tom 'Bush' Wamukota, Desmond Owili, Tylor Ongwae, Preston Bungei and Eric Mutoro starting berths with five others starting from the bench. Power forward Joel Awich and point guard Joseph Khaemba were not drafted in the day's match sheet leaving only ten players on rotation. 

Morans started the match on a high as they assumed the lead from tip off thanks to points from Owili who sunk a three pointer and a jump shot for 5-0 before Ongwae made it 7-0. Mutoro's missed three point shot resulted in a turnover that gave Senegal their first three points. 

Senegal scored seven in a row to assume the lead at 7-8 but Wamukota got Morans back in the lead with a trey of his own. Senegal responded immediately with a three-pointer of their own and scored two more baskets for 10-16. Bungei made two quick baskets for 14 -18 forcing Senegal to call for a timeout with 1.22 minutes to play. 

The West Africans nailed a three-pointer straight from the timeout to extend their lead to 21 points but Valentine Nyakinda and Ronnie Gundo who had been introduced from the bench sunk a baajet each to help Morans head to the first quarter break with a three-point deficit at 18-21. 

Upon resumption, Ariel Okal made matters 20-21 before Bungei gave Morans the lead with a swish from beyond the arch for three points. Senegal leveled but Gundo responded with a basket Tylor morans to lead 25-23.

Bungei missed two consecutive three point shots as that would have given Morans an eight-point lead with 5.40 minutes to play in the second quarter. The worrisome trend continued as Nyakinda and Mutoro attempted treys that missed the target for the score to remain 25-23.  

Ongwae penetrated Senegals defence for that basket for the score board to read 27-23 in Morans' favour. Senegal reduced the gap to a one-point game almost immediately. Nyakinda missed a chance for a three point play, missing a free throw awarded for being fouled while going for a basket. He, however, made good the resulting rebound for a basket as Morans led 31-26. Ongwae won stepped on the line with two seconds left on the clock but missed both free throws for the match to head to the breather at 31-27. 

Tables turned in the second half as Morans allowed Senegal to score 14 points in a row for the score to read 35-43 in their favour. They had assumed the lead at 35-37 with 5.46 minutes to play in the third quarter and never looked back as they made easy work of Mills' charges who seemed resigned to fate. 

Senegal went on to score 25 points against Morans 10 in the third and 17 against Morans' 10 in the final quarter for the win. 

Bungei top scored for Morans at 11 points while Wamukota and Gundo made nine and eight points respectively. Ongwae, who has been Morans' top scorer so far, managed six points.