SCHOOLS: It's Agoro Sare verses Dr Aggrey in national basketball finals

Agoro Sare High School's Clinton Wambugu (left) and Dagoretti High's Fidel Osudo in action during their KSSSA national semifinal basketball match.[Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Agoro Sare High School made history on Friday after not only qualifying for the Brookside KSSSA national basketball boy’s finals but also booking a ticket to Uganda for the East African games set for Term Two for the first time in their history.

The Nyanza Region champions hammered Nairobi champions Dagoretti High School 67-44 to book a final date against Dr Aggrey High School in what will be a rematch of their preliminary group stage match up which Agoro won 54-53.

Speaking after the win, Agoro Sare head coach Benson Ochieng said they are happy their tactics worked but the journey is yet to end.

Ochieng said the team was motivated by their ambitions to beat the feat set by the side which was knocked out at the semifinal stage five years ago when they were at the nationals in 2019.

“Congratulations to the boys and Agoro Sare. This feat has been long coming since we started preparations last year to get to where we are today. The journey has not yet ended and we will be going for the national trophy,” said Ochieng.

Homa Bay County champions Agoro will be seeking to end Nyanza Regions 10-year national title drought with Maseno School being the last time from Nyanza to win the title in 2015.

Agoro Sare High School's Clinton Wambugu (left) and Dagoretti High's Fidel Osudo in action during their KSSSA national semifinal basketball match.[Jonah Onyango, Standard]

In fact, a new champion will be crowned as Agoro will meet 2022 champions Dr Aggrey who eliminated defending champions Laiser Hill High School 65-58 in a tight semifinal that went all the way to overtime after a 50-50 tie at the end of the fourth quarter.

Dagoretti High who miss out on the finals for the first time since 2019 will battle for the last ticket to Uganda against Laiser Hill.

At the same time, basketball girls defending champions Butere Girls High School will also renew their rivalry with 2019 champions Buruburu Girls in the finals.

“We have to strategize for the finals. Buruburu defeated us in the preliminary stages but we will be ready this time round. We did not play to our level best on Wednesday but today we shall show up because we want to retain the title,” said Butere coach Chris Odeke.

Nasokol will battle five-time national champions Kaya Tiwi in the third place playoffs.