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Kenya’s shooting guards Tyler Okari and Eric Mutoro will be eyeing the top scorer’s award when men’s national basketball team christened ‘Morans’ plays the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final of Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Bamako on Saturday.
The final will be played from 9pm (Kenyan time). Okari scored 20 points in Kenya’s 96-66 walloping of Morocco at the semi-final stage on Thursday, increasing his points tally to 109, the highest by a single player at the championship where the Kenyan team has surprised everybody, including themselves by reaching the final.
The six-foot-seven tall Okari, who plays professional basketball for Danish club Bakken Bears Aarhus with whom he won the Danish League title in the just ended season, has also played the most minutes at the championship than any other player, staying on the court for 40 minutes against DRC.
Okari also played for 39 minutes each against Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. He had also played for 28 and and 29 minutes against Tunisia and Morocco in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals respectively.
Mutoro, the 27-year-old career soldier who plies his trade with the Kenya Defence Forces team Ulinzi Warriors, has also been outstanding in the tournament.
His game-high 32 points against Morocco pushed his points tally to an impressive 80 points, with some 19 rebounds to his credit.
The Kenyan team which was comprised of largely unknown players, has also produced new stars in Bush Wamukota and Ronnie Gundo who are both students at American universities.
Meanwhile, Griffin Ligare and Ariel Okal who play for Thunder and Kenya Ports Authority respectively, have been doing their thing quietly.
Coincidentally, both Okari and Mutoro horned their skills in basketball at Friends School Kamusinga. During secondary schools championships, both came up against their current teammates Wamukota and Gundo, as well as Valentine Otula who were students at Maseno School, coached by Paul Otula.
This has added to the chemistry at the Kenyan camp as the players understand each other’s playing style.
On Thursday against Morocco who had been described as "very huge and imposing opponents" by Kenyan coach Cliff Owuor, Morans dominated from the onset, taking the first quarter 27-11 and the second 23-15 for huge 50-26 half-time lead.
Morans slowed down in the second half, narrowly outscoring Morocco in the third quarter 27-20 before allowing the frustrated opponents to take the final quarter 20-19 when the game was already decided.
Mutoro led the Kenyans with 32 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal with a +26 efficiency, while Sami Al Uariachi was Morocco’s main man with 20 points and three rebounds.
Kenya’s efficiency from the field is perhaps what gave the team an edge over the north Africans, with a 46 per cent shooting from the field against Morocco’s 34 per cent.
Mutoro, who was on the floor for 32:36 minutes, hit 12-of-20 from the field and shot 8-of-13 from the three-point line in a 61.5 per cent shooting accuracy.
Okari added 20 points for Kenya, making eight-of-nine from the free-throw line.
LIGARE'S QUIET NIGHT
Skipper Ligare, the man who destroyed the Tunisians in the quarters, scored eight points while the towering Wamukota also had eight points in the contest.
The Kenyans also had a combined 26 assists to Morocco’s 15 and out-rebounded their opponents 49-40.
Both teams were however sloppy with the ball, with Kenya making 10 turnovers while Morocco committed 13.
“It was a good semi-final match. We were very solid defensively in the entire first half, with Mutoro outstanding, plus we did a lot of things right,” coach Owuor said after the match.
The Ministry of Sports was due to send a delegation to Bamako on Friday, led by the chief administrative officer in charge of sports to cheer the team in Saturday’s final against DRC.
