Thunderbolt for Warriors as perfect run is halted

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league defending champions, Ulinzi Warriors, were left wounded as Nairobi City Thunder came guns blazing in the return league encounter to win 56-64 and dent the holder's attempt at a perfect run post-Covid-19 break. 

"We saw how Warriors played against Strathmore Blades on Saturday and just like we did against Eldonets, they struggled and we knew if we played our game well we had a chance. 

We limited them to one shot with good rebounding and to counter their physicality, the ball had to keep moving. Our shots were falling and we held on to the lead from the second quarter to the end. This win, eleventh in 18 matches, is a confidence boost as we build our momentum towards the playoffs," said Thunder head coach Sadat Gaya. 

In a match that Thunder lead for all but 9.36 minutes, the soldiers were outplayed and outnumbers on almost all the fronts, as they attempted to match the clinical Shauri-Moyo side without much success.  

In a low-scoring first quarter, Thunder kept their foot on Warriors' neck and allowed the holders little time to settle in the match and run the scores with well executed plays that paid off as the soldier were only leading by half a basket at the end of the first period at 12-13. 

BAL targeting Warriors eyeimprovements

Warriors never anticipated what was coming as they faced new-face Thunder, a side determined to be just as good competition for the military side as the Gaya-led squad that pushed them to their limits in winning the 2019 KBF league title. 

Thunder assumed lead in the second period of the match and never let go as they scored 20 points in the second quarter against William Balozi men's 16 to head to the break with a three pointer advantage. 

On resumption, Warriors attempted to contain Gaya's charges but they remained unstoppable, scoring 13 while restricting Warriors to eight to extend their advantage to eight points, a lead that Warriors never recovered as the final period ended in 19 all score. 

Thunder captain Griffin Ligare, who was on the floor for the entirety of the encounter, moving the ball for his side and making his shots count, contributed a game-high 22 points with Alex Lugasi second on the scoring charts at 16 points. Both men cortibuted 11 and six rebounds respectively. 

New signing Dimas Mbaka was also on the double (on points) list as he sunk ten to assist his side pick one of their best wins in a season that they have struggled to replicate their 2019 form. 

"Despite the win, we still have work to do and this cannot go into our heads. If we get overly excited by this win then we lose focus in the remaining matches where we need wins to finish the regular league in the top four positions," added Gaya who has a date away to Eldonets and Lakeside before returning to finish the league in Nairobi. 

Mabonga steers Warriors to final round of BAL qualifiers

Both coaches had settled on a eight-man rotation with James Mwangi doing full minutes for Warriors to grab a double-double for the military side on 12 points and 21 rebounds with 18 of those on defence. Mwangi tied with Victor Bosire who was on the floor for 38 minutes on points with Joseph Khaemba the other Warrior to manage double digits on points at ten. 

"Everything that could go wrong did today. We missed easy shots on the paint and insisted on attempting three-pointers while trailing depsote instructions to drive to the basket. Thunder came ready and they were the better team today. 

There was alot of complacency from the get go and before the players could realise, Thunder were pulling away and it was impossible to stop them without following instructions.

This loss is a wake up call for us not to rest on our laurels as we now need maximum points in the remaining matches if we are to finish the regular league top of the table and that will be no mean feat," said coach Balozi. 

Warriors have a date with Lakeside, who handed them their first defeat of the season, as we assumed ties against Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Embakasi Youth (EMYBA).