KBF play-offs: Storms, Equity Hawks make safe landing into semis

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 31 – Defending Champions Equity Hawks and Storms secured semi-final berths in the Kenya Basketball Federation Women’s Premier League play-offs after closing down their quarters series with a 2-0 clean sweep.

Hawks saw off Africa Nazarene University in a one-sided affair while Storms were made to work by University of Nairobi (UoN) side Dynamites over both games, before settling out the duel with a clean sweep.

Storms beat Dynamites by a massive 16 point margin, clinching Game Two with a 75-59 score, to set up a date against last season’s losing finalists Kenya Ports Authority.

“I am really pleased with how we performed to win the series 2-0. It was a tough game and we really worked hard for it. We scouted them well and prepared adequately and we did exactly what we had to do on the court. UoN did well; they are a young team and coach kent and his staff did a good job. They have a bright future,” said Abel Nson, the Storms coach.

Kenya Lionesses players Jemimah Omondi and Ashley Minayo led the way for Storms with an enormous performance, sinking 25 and 19 points respectively as they bounced off a slow start to command the tie.

Dynamites led 7-0 with less than three minutes gone as Storms laboured to get their engines running. But slowly, they began to creep up Cylia Atieno sinking in three consecutive baskets to race them back in contention.

The University Girls managed to lead 21-18 by the end of the opening quarter. But upon resumption, Nson’s girls came back more determined with Minayo and Omondi putting in their A game as they outscored the Dynamites 20-6 to lead 38-27 at the break.

Dynamites tried to power back in the second half of the game, outscoring Storms by three points in the third quarter, but trailed by seven in the fourth.

Meanwhile earlier on, defending champions Hawks were powered by Belinda Akoth’s 14 points. They had a good start with a 21-11 score in the opening quarter with ANU threatening in the second, only narrowed down by a point in a 12-11 score for the bankers.

They however couldn’t roll on the same tempo in the last two quarters as Equity easily clinched the victory and a date against the hard fighting Zetech Sparks in the semi-finals.