Equity Bank Hawks beat Zetech University Sparks in a women's Kenya National Basketball League clash at the United States International University (USIU) courts.
It was the students' Chantal Kiyobe who opened the scoring but the bankers took over and led 10-8 and 8-6 in the second.
After the break, Hawks who lost the first leg refused to be cowed and despite Zetech's mounting pressure, they still trailed 11-9 in the third stanza.
It was a give-and-take affair in the last quarter and a basket by Sparks' new signing Medina Okot saw them close in 36-34 but once again Equity Bank hanged on.
With 0:15 to play, Kiyobe was whistled for a foul on Samba Mjomba as Zetech threw everything forward with a 39-38 score in the Hawks' favour.
Mjomba went to the line and buried one shot and missed the other for the winners did well despite the losers taking the last stanza 15-11.
"It was a close game and I am happy with the win. It's not the way we wanted to win. We were keen on a bigger margin," offered bankers' coach David Maina.
He heaped praise on Hawks' new player Rachel Akinyi saying: "She did a good job and she needs to continue at the same level. We are happy for her call-up to the national side."
Mjomba led the bankers' tally with 13 points while debuting Akinyi had 10 that included back-to-back three-pointers.
For Sparks, Christine Akinyi managed 14 and Okot shot five points, all coming in the last two quarters.
"We were not fit for this game as we have not trained well because of national team commitment and also examinations," said Sparks' Maurice Obilo.
In the lower division matches at the same venue, Absa recovered from 75-31 mauling by USIU to beat Mustangs 45-32.
World Hope pipped Nairobi Institute of Business Studies while Zetech University Titans blanked USIU 52-36.
At the Makande Welfare hall in Mombasa, Strathmore University women's team Two deflated 52-46 Coastal Queens. Butere Girls hit Kisii University 58-45 and Nebulas defeated Kisii Neighbours 85-70 before losing 73-63 to Kisii Raptors.
