•Kananu sunk game-high 28 points, Mandela shot 11 while Melissa Akinyi, Samba Mjomba, Linda Akando and Salma Akinyi combined for another 29
•Another Kenyan side Kenya Ports Authority had to apply every trick in the book to pip JKL of Uganda 58-57 in a Pool ‘A’ encounter.
Third-quarter heroics saw reigning champions Equity Bank whip Tanzania’s Don Bosco 80-47 to win their second FIBA Africa Zone Five match in Dar-es-salaam.
“We played our second game and won though we had to dig deeper in the second half,” said Equity Bank coach David Maina. He added: “We rotated well and our focus is to win tomorrow’s game against APR to top the group.”
Equity led 11-8 and 16-15 in the first two quarters. They dominated the third with a 24-11 cushion and 19-13 in the decisive quarter. National team players Betty Kananu and Annerose Mandela were the main stars of the show—taking charge when it mattered most.
Kananu sunk game-high 28 points, Mandela shot 11 while Melissa Akinyi, Samba Mjomba, Linda Akando and Salma Akinyi combined for another 29. For the homegirls, who collapsed under a heavy barrage, Londo Orlin scored 10 as Bablia Jasmine added another 15. Another Kenyan side Kenya Ports Authority had to apply every trick in the book to pip JKL of Uganda 58-57 in a Pool ‘A’ encounter.
KPA got off to a shaky start and trailed 12-8 in the first quarter. The Ugandans then took a 27-20 edge to the break.
After resumption, determined dock women then sailed away with a strong 18-9 lead before being pegged down again 21-20 in the fourth.
KPA coach Mike Opel said: “We started badly and we were not playing our defence. Besides we had a number of lapses and missed easy baskets.”
“We just didn’t play our game but being the first game, we were nervous. I hope we will play better in the coming games,” he noted. The games continue this afternoon.