L. MathekaRoad to BAL: KPA rebound with win over Elan Coton
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 20.10.23. | 18:45
The Guy Arnaud-coached side will play Tanzania's Pazi BBC.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) have picked their first win at the ongoing Road to BAL matches in Dar es Salaam, seeing off Benin’s Elan Coton 68-48 in a match played at the IST Gymnasium on Mashujaa Day.
The Guy Arnaud-coached side were coming off a 75-63 loss in the opening match played on Thursday to Burundi’s Dynamo BBC, a result that put a dent on their chances of qualifying for the Elite 16.
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Bright Osagie led the onslaught for KPA with 14 points and 9 rebounds as Luqman Leon Lundy, added 12 to the tally as did, KPA’s top scorer in their opening match Tyronne Maliek Jordan.
Yves-Louis Ngaransou led the charts for Elan Coton, hitting a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds as Asshe Stéphane Auguste Kokoun also pulled a similar performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Elan Coton started strong going ahead 8-3 and again 10-5 with 4.56 minutes to play but KPA fought back to level the score at 13 and lead the quarter 15-14.
The Benin champions reclaimed their lead at 16-15, Ngaransou doing the damage but Wanje responded almost immediately with a trey that took KPA right back on top at 18-16 as the Kenyan side went on a 10-point scoring streak for 25-16 before the opponent could get their next point.
The second quarter ended 20-12 in favour of the East Africans who took a 9-point advantage to the half time break.
Martin Kitong’o opened the account for KPA in the third quarter with a steal and a layup as the side extended their advantage to 11 points halfway through the quarter at 41-30.
Day two of the Basketball Africa League Qualifiers & the Dockers are meeting Elan Coton of Benin at 1600HRS GMT.
— Kenya Ports Authority (@Kenya_Ports) October 20, 2023
Click the link to watch the game live .https://t.co/0pVJsltvCo#KPAsports#Basketball#RoadtoBAL pic.twitter.com/UUYSdqzZtC
It was a somewhat quiet second part of the period as both sides managed just seven points. Kitong’o scored KPA’s last basket of the quarter with 1.50 minutes to spare but the side could not make use of their chances to extend their advantage.
KPA led 52-41 halfway through the final quarter and went on to win 68-48.
The two sides will be back in action on Saturday for their final matches where KPA plays Pazi BBC while Elan Coton face off with Dynamo BBC.
