Champions Equity Hawks, Sparks and Swords win

Reigning Kenya Basketball Federation Women’s Premier League champions Equity Bank Hawks, Zetech University Sparks and Strathmore University Swords won their respective matches on Sunday to consolidate their top eight spots.

Hawks who are looking to successfully defend their title beat their hosts Eldonets 61-42 in a match played at Uasin Gishu High School, Eldoret.

However, their male counterparts Equity Dumas were unlucky going down 52-57 to Eldonets Platinum and the same venue. The victory crowned a fruitful weekend for Platinum who had edged out Umoja Basketball Club 66-65 on Saturday.

A poor show in the second quarter was Eldonets major undoing despite having started well to win the first quarter 16-13. They seemed helpless in the second quarter as Hawks outplayed them to score 19 points against two to take a 32-20 half-time lead.

They recovered in the third quarter to take it 15-14 but the bankers would dominate the fourth winning it 15-9 to cement their place in the top five.

At Nyayo, Zetech Sparks drubbed Th3 Swish 65-24 while Strathmore Swords piled more misery on Storms who are yet to taste victory thrashing them 69-24.

In the Men’s Premier League title chase, reigning champions Nairobi City Thunder dismissed National Bank of Kenya's Phoenix 62-48 to maintain their unbeaten run.

After an evenly contested first quarter that ended with both teams tied on 15 points, Thunder were better in the second period scoring 16 points to take a 31-27 lead.

The Phoenixes would once again put up a spirited fight against Thunder who had most of their regular players rest at the weekend. Their effort would see them score 13 points same as Thunder who maintained their four points going into the fourth period.

Even so, the bankers cracked to let Thunder score 18 points against eight and succumb to defeat. Thunder will now break from the local league to focus on the 2025 Basketball Africa League Nile Conference that tosses off next Sunday at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

Former titleholders Ulinzi Warriors suffered a 59-53 shock defeat to Terror.  The soldiers could not contain the victory hungry students more so Ryan Onyango who tormented their defence to score a match high 20 points. Morgan Niva complemented Onyango’s effort with 16 points.

Warriors were lacking in both offence and defence with Brans Nzioka and David Kitongo leading their scores with 11 points each. A dismal show in the second and fourth quarters proved costly for Warriors who had started the game on a high taking the first quarter 21-15.

Terror were more rejuvenated in the second quarter controlling the game to score 16 points against Ulinzi’s nine to cancel their six points advantage and take a 31-30 lead at the breather.

On resumption, the game was balanced with neither side managing to score more points and stretch their lead. Ulinzi would take win the period 11-10 for a level 41 points score going into the final quarter. Inspired by their ability to not only control the game but also contain the soldiers, Terror went all out to score 18 points against Ulinzi’s 12 to bag victory.