Warriors survive Wolfpacks' attack as KBF action moves to Ulinzi Complex

Africa Nazarene University (ANU) Wolfpacks brought their best fight into the class with former champions Ulinzi Warriors but lady luck smiled to the latter in a heated basketball exchange. 

The Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league encounter was set to be a thriller, even on paper, and it lived up to its biling. 

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Matches initially set for USIU grounds had been shifted to the Lang'ata road Ulinzi Complex and just like that Wolfpacks found themselves on Warriors' turf for the second time this season. 

It was a tight match from the get go, as Warriors recovered from a 6-11 poor start to lead the first quarter 15-13, setting the stage for one of the closest encounters the league has experienced in the second legatches played so far. 

The second quarter was a close affair with Hawi Audi, Justin Timberlake and Brian Adero causing all manner of problems for Warriors to score 11 points against ten as the match headed to the break on a two-point difference. 

On resumption, Warriors stepped up the tempo scoring 23 against Wolfpacks' 16 and put some distance between themselves and the varsity side but only for a little while. 

The Mike Oluoch-led varsity side never lost hope even when the match seemed to have slipped through their fingers and kept fighting in a dramatic last three minutes of the quarter and match. 

Wolfpacks ate into Warriors' slim lead to level the score at 56 with 16 seconds left on the clock and the match seemed headed for overtime until the varsity side picked an unnecessary four foul sending Collins Muliro on the free-throw line with five seconds on the clock. 

Muliro converted once but five seconds was not enough for ANU to transition the ball to the other basket and comfortably convert and they lost the match painfully, by half a basket. 

In other men's league matches, Umoja recovered from a slow start to turn the tables on Zetech Titans for a crucial 48-41 victory. 

Meanwhile, Strathmore Blades powered to a comfortable 60-48 victory away in Eldoret against Eldonets Platinum as Lakeside subjected University of Nairobi (UoN) Terror to a 78-6_ defeat. 

In the women's league, Storms continued their good form seeing off Kenyatta University Oryx 47-38 as Eldonets women fell 22-69 to Strathmore Swords. UoN Dynamites were the better side against Kisumu Lady Bucks picking a 60-44 victory.