Strathmore Swords finish first leg strong with victory over USIU-A Flames

Storm's Joy Adongo (left) and Pamela Sinda of Strathmore University during playoffs at Nyayo Gymnasium.[Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Strathmore University Swords yesterday beat former champions United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Flames 74-66 in a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Women’s Premier League match played at Nyayo Gymnasium.

It was a tough weekend for the Flames, who had suffered a narrow 51-54 defeat to Stanbic Aces on Saturday. With only two matches to play, the double defeat reduced their chances of ending the first leg in the top five.

A defensive lapse in the second quarter proved costly for the Flames, who are looking to recapture the title they last won in 2015.

Swords Ninel Naserian was the star of the match, knocking down a match-high 24 points, but her effort was not good enough to save her side from suffering their fifth loss of the season. Marylisa Omondi and Ivy Sitati scored 13 points apiece while captain Catherine Mollel added 12 for Flames. Jacqueline Otieno led the Swords with 21 points, whereas Verol Akinyi scored nine.

The first quarter was balanced, but it was the Flames who were looking to bounce back from Saturday’s setback that took an 18-17 lead. However, Swords, who were keen to end their first leg campaign on a high, fought gallantly in the second, capitalising on Flames' defensive weaknesses to win the period 29-20 and secure an eight-point lead going into the second half.

The third and fourth quarters were evenly contested, with both sides scoring a total of 18 points, as Swords carried the day thanks to their solid display in the second quarter.

In another women’s match, 2024 champions Equity Bank Hawks piled more misery on newcomers Lady Titans to register their seventh win. The 21-72 defeat dimmed the Lady Titans’ hopes of getting out of the relegation zone by the end of the first leg.

The bankers had it easy with the top-tier debutants, who struggled in all departments throughout the encounter. Disadvantaged by numbers, Titans who turned up for the match with eight players out of the required 12 seemed to have resigned to their fate by the end of the first quarter as they trailed 22-7. The second quarter was dull, with both sides unable to make meaningful moves in the paint.

However, Hawks remained in control of the game, taking it 8-3 for a 30-10 lead. Equity totally outplayed the Titans in the final 20 minutes, taking the third and fourth quarters 21-10 and 21-1. In the men’s Premier League title hunt, Strathmore Blades had a tough weekend after going down 71-83 to Equity Bank Dumas. Blades had suffered another loss on Friday night at the hands of defending champions Nairobi City Thunder. The going was tough for the students as Stanbic Shields beat African Nazarene University (ANU) Wolfpacks 81-54.