Eliud Owalo Foundation tourney: Zetech stuns Equity Hawks to make final

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12 - Despite losing one of their key players, Mary Lisa Omondi, Zetech Sparks put up a mastered performance, as they cut Equity Hawks to size, thrashing them them 75-51 at the Nyayo Gymnasium on Saturday night to make the final of the Eliud Owalo Elite Basketball Tournament.

Omondi has just secured a scholarship to the United States International University (USIU) and bid goodbye to Zetech, but Maurice Obilo's girls showed no weakness as they cut Hawks to size, dominating them from the first to last whistle.

"We did very well especially in the first two quarters. This was our third game of the day and the girls were really tired and in the last quarter especially, we were just managing the game and not necessarily looking to score," Obilo said after the game.

He added; "I couldn't have asked more from the girls but they put in a good performance. I am delighted and hopefully we do better in the final. We are facing a tougher opponent but I believe we can give a good account of ourselves."

The Sparks will take on league champions Kenya Ports Authority in the final, the latter having easily swatted aside USIU 80-61 in the other semi-final match played at the Ulinzi Complex.

At Nyayo, Madina Okot, who is on her last season with Sparks before moving to the United States, put in a starring performance, clocking an impressive double double of 17 rebounds and 19 points, with four steals to shepherd her side to victory.

Mitchelle Soukoujou also clocked double digits, with 15 points while Rwandese international Chantal Kiyobae had 12 for the Sparks.

Equity's Betty Kananu and Rita Onyango were the only ones with double digit scores in an underwhelming performance by the Hawks, as they chalked 13 and 11 respectively. Onyango had a double double of 11 points and 13 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to save her side from an embarrassing defeat.

The opening quarter was closely contested, Zetech leading 15-14 at the end of it. But, the bankers crumbled in the second quarter with Okot being superb on either boards, and the Thika Road based students making the most of their profligacy in scoring to open up a massive 42-17 gap at half time.

In the third quarter, Equity tried to rally and reduce the gap but Zetech were never relenting. They led 63-37 going into the final quarter, and victory surely in sight.

Equity reduced that gap to 20 points with 7:36 to play after Obilo's rotation to give all his players minutes. When he realized Equity might rally, he brought back in Kiyobe and Christine Akinyi to put the game back to comfortable distance, before pulling them out again.

Equity's rally to try come back was futile, and even their body language told the tale of a side subdued and enduring a difficult night.

They will now hope for bronze consolation when they play USIU in the third place duel on Sunday morning.