This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
On Saturday night, Ulinzi Warriors made history by becoming the first team to qualify for this year's basketball men's Premier League play-offs semifinals, defeating Lakeside 94-63 at Nyayo Gymnasium.
Coached by William Balozi, the Eastleigh-based soldiers had previously squeezed a narrow 80-78 victory over Lakeside in Game One in Kisumu.
Despite finishing in eighth position, Lakeside had managed to sneak into the play-offs.
Ulinzi's top-seeded team assembled all the ammunition, with shooting guard Eric Mutoro and forward James Mwangi hitting Lakeside hard.
Ulinzi raced to a huge 20-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, sounding an early warning to the crowd.
Despite a two-hour delay, a big crowd braved the wait to witness a rampant Warriors in action.
Ulinzi again outscored Lakeside 26-10 at the end of the second quarter, heading into the break with a healthy 23-point lead.
Coach Balozi attributed their success to training in an indoor court, which gave them a big advantage over the outdoor court in Kisumu.
Ulinzi will now face the winner between KPA and Blades in the semifinal.
