Ulinzi buzzer drama beats Strathmore’s lead as Warriors sail to KBF play-off final

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – Vincent Juma sunk a three-pointer with one second of play left on the clock as Ulinzi Warriors forced overtime against Strathmore Blades to win 94-86 and sweep the semi-final series 3-0 to sail to the final of the Kenya Basketball Federation Premier League.

Warriors were trailing by three points, scores at 79-76 in favour of the university boys, when they turned over possession from a line ball with two seconds left, coach William Balozi calling a time out.

When they came back, Victor Bosire picked the ball on the side and bounced it to Juma who turned and shot immediately and the ball swished in for three points with the buzzer providing the background music for a jubilant end to the first four quarters.

With scores tied at 79-79, the game had to go into overtime.

However, the Strathmore bench and players were furious with the score, stating that the clock should have long wound down and the buzzer up even before Juma rose to take the shot. They turned the heat on the clock referee accusing him of slowing the restart to favour the soldiers.

However, they resumed play after close to 10 minutes of arguments and with their morale already punctured, Warriors easily strolled past them to qualify for a second consecutive final where they hope to defend their title.

“It was a tough game and this showed the character we have in the team. We never say die and we fought till the end. I am happy for the boys we showed that we are a big side and now we are ready for anyone in the final; even Lakers,” a confident Valentine ‘Boozer’ Nyakinda said after the game.

Warriors who had easily won game one and two trailed by as many as 20 points at one point in the game, but they mounted a rallying comeback to stun Blades who only had themselves to blame.

Missing their inspirational skipper Eric Mutoro who had been ejected in Game Two, as well as Nyakinda who had come late due to a family commitment, Warriors struggled from the start.

Blades were faster off the blocks and Ulinzi only scored their first points of the game with 4:38 played off David Ouma’s free throws.

Blades were in strolling form as they won the opening quarter 19-7. With Nyakinda introduced at the start of the second quarter, Warriors were better and they squeezed the scores to trail 40-26 at halftime with Blades having outscored them by just a basket in the entire second quarter.

They kept the fight in the third quarter where they scored 24 points against Blades’ 21 to move 61-50 heading into the final quarter of the match.

With the score a nine-point difference, Ulinzi had the belief they could turn the game around. But they were hampered when Nyakinda fouled out with 5:11 to go. But they kept the fight and went to within five points with 2:11 to go when Byron Wasilwa sunk two points.

With 37seconds to play, they were still trailing by five points, but Bosire’s two points then put them to within touching distance, to allow for the drama in the final seconds.

Just before they had won the game, Ancet Wafula had tried out a three-pointer with nine seconds left on the clock but was unsuccessful.

Warriors will now face off with either Equity men of KPA. The two sides play the deciding game five in Mombasa on Monday afternoon with KPA having overturned a 2-0 deficit to win game three and four and force the series to game five.

Equity had won both game one and two in Nairobi.