Mwalo, Adala star as Terror annihilate Equity

As Kenyans waited for a political earthquake elsewhere, it was the basketball fraternity that got served one as favourites Equity Bank lost to University of Nairobi (UoN) Terror. 

The Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league playoff quarters match pitting the bankers against the varsity side played at the Nyayo Indoor Arena had pulled a small crowd, mostly from the Terror side, but the energy in the gymnasium remained electrified throughout the encounter. 

"We believed in ourselves and went in without fear knowing anything in the match was possible. We kept the scores close and when we got the chance we took it and fought for the win. This win gives us a chance at the semis. However, we have a few things to work on before Game Two that will make our campaign lighter in the next assignment," offered skipper Samuel Mwalo after the win. 

Mwalo led by example, knocking down 21 points shile Pharez Adala added 18. Spencer Mageto and Nelson Mandela scored 12 and ten respectively to complete Terror's list of the double digit scorers. Victor Ochieng and Lenson Kisia scored 13 and ten respectively for Equity. 

Coming into the match, the Carey Odhiambo-led bankers held the advantage having won both matches in the regular league and boasting an experienced side compares to the students. This is Terror's first playoff appearance since 2007. 

The match was tight, from the onset, as expected from both sides and the first period ended in a 16- all stalemate. The bankers put a four-point gap between themselves and the Eugene Genga-led students heading to the breather with a 18-14 scoreline in the second period. 

On resumption, the bankers were still running the show but Terror were threateningly close and kept the gap at ten points or less. 

In the final quarter, Terror smelt blood and went for the kill with three minutes left to play. The varsity side had cut the deficit drastically, sending their fans in the stands into a frenzy as they tied the score at 64 points with 2:06 minutes to play. 

The students had nothing to lose and everything to gain by throwing everything they have at the bankers, and fight, Terror did. 

The pressure saw the bankers give the ball away easily, in the haste to get to the Terror basket and they were punished immediately, Genga's charges taking the lead for the first time at 66-64 from a Adala mid-range jumper. 

Davies Siaji got a chance to level the score from the free throw line but his attempts, probably out of pressure, missed the target. 

As Terror got to the resulting rebound first, Shem Omuta was again caught on the wrong, drawing an unsportsman foul that Adala wasted no time in punishing Equity for tk make the score 71-64. 

Bobby Onyango pulled one back from the free throw line with Robert Goppy scoring the last basket of the match for the final score. Omuta got a chance at redemption but missed the two free throws.