L. MathekaSix promoted to KBF league after Inter-Provincial Playoffs
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 30.11.21. | 16:43
NBA had managed to send five teams to the tournament and all of them made it to the national league.
Four men’s and three women’s teams have gained promotion to the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Division Two and Division One league respectively after the conclusion of the three-day Inter-Provincial Playoffs held in Eldoret at the weekend.
The competition brought together six teams in the men’s competition in National Bank of Kenya (NBK) Phoenix, Dagoretti High, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology-Nairobi (JKUAT), Kapsabet Hawks, Kisii National Polytechnic and Moischers Nets from Malindi.
The ladies’ category had Zetech University Sparks, Safe Spaces (Nairobi), TH3 Swish and Butere Girls playing in a round-robin format.
In an all-Nairobi final Sparks were crowned the playoff champions beating Safe Spaces 48-34 in the final. The students led 12-10 in the first quarter of this tie played at the Uasin Gishu Primary School courts. They were in the ascendancy in the second quarter with a 12-7 advantage.
They could not break away in a closely fought third quarter barely hanging on 9-8 before showing who was the better side as they cruised away 15-9 in the deciding quarter for the victory.
Britney Nafula was key as she tallied 18 points for Sparks while the exiting Florence Mbithe also replied with 18 points for Safe Spaces.
In the men's final pitting Nets of and Dagoretti High School, the former were declared winners as the student were a no-show, having to leave earlier for Nairobi but not without bagging a ticket to the KBF league.
“Nets, Dagoretti, Phoenix and JKUAT are through to the KBF leagues while the women’s finalists, as well as Butere, join the KBF women’s division one league. NBA women’s league champions Dream Girls had an automatic ticket, making it four teams,” explained KBF fixtures secretary Joseph Amoko who doubles up as Dagoretti’s coach.
“NBA had managed to send five teams to the tournament and all of them made it to the national league. This is a clear indication that some good work is being done in the Nairobi league and we are proud of all the teams. We are proud of the achievements and will work even work harder to sweep the boards in next year's event,” offered NBA official Dan O’Were.
