17 May 2008

KENYA : Lions lie in wait for Pirates at Nyayo today

by CAXTON APOLLO in Nairobi and PHILIP ONYANGO
in Mombasa

Defending men’s basketball Premier League champions, Kenya Commercial Bank Lions are poised to maintain their unbeaten run when they entertain lowly-rated Kenyatta University Pirates at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium Friday from 2pm.

Lions mauled rivals Co-operative Bank 72-69 last weekend and start as favourites against the students, making their first appearance this season. Victor Odendo, Tobias Onyango and Dennis “Dikembe” Opiyo will hunt down the students.

Two top women’s matches are on the card Friday with Sprite Storms taking on Strathmore University.

Eagle Wings meet Cruisers in the day’s opening tie. Storms rocked Yana 43-32 in their last assignment and Anjella Luchivya and Irene Makori are ready to do their team proud.

In Mombasa, US-based students, Sarah Zainab Chan and Lillian Atieno will be on parade when United States International University (USIU) take on Kenya Ports Authority at KPA Hall in Makande Friday.

Chan, who together with Josephine Owino and Beatrice Awino helped Union University Lady Bulldogs to an unbeaten record in the NAIA Trans South Conference league, is on holiday and will be expected to make a big contribution to USIU team for the three months she will be on holiday.

Union University Lady Bulldog head women basketball coach, Mark Campbell confirmed that Chan had been given permission to return home on holiday and to play a competitive league to remain in shape ahead of the US colleges new season which starts in September.

The other US-based player, Lillian Atieno, who left for the US two years ago, will return home for the first time and should also be instrumental in the team’s campaign after USIU made a fault in the league losing the match opener 79-61 to Eagle Wings last weekend.

Instrumental

KPA men face off with USIU in a match expected to be tough. Sammy Kirui, formerly of KCB, has added some punch in KPA’s front court while the Odari brothers are proving to be very instrumental at the back court.

Saturday, Bosire Bogonko and Abel Kimondo are expected to come out of the bench as Co-op Bank confront visiting Lakeside at 2pm.

The duo watched from the technical bench as Co-op Bank went down fighting 72-69 to rivals KCB Lions. Wycliffe Ochieng and Bobby Okwako’s shooting magic will be needed to earn Co-op Bank a win.

Yana’s coach George Namake has another test when they host Cruisers at 9.30 am. Namake has yet to polish Yana, who crushed 43-32 to Sprite Storms. Anne Liambila and Stella Opondo has a big responsibility to return Yana’s lost glory.

In the men’s Division One matches, unbeaten Posta take on African Nazarene University at 12 pm while Terrorists led by Rodney Genga are expected to frustrate Pirates from 4 pm.

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