This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
On November 4, 2019, Ulinzi Warriors men basketball team made a triumphant entry into the Kenya Men Basketball League semi-finals after a convincing 94-63 win against Lakeside in the quarter-final playoff series held at Nyayo Gymnasium in Nairobi.
The team, led by captain John Washika, needed a decisive victory to secure their spot in the semi-finals and they delivered, dominating the game from start to finish.
Ulinzi Warriors dropped 20-13 in the first quarter, but they bounced back strongly in the second quarter, scoring an impressive 26-10 to take a 46-23 lead into the break.
After the breather, the team maintained their momentum, winning 20-17 in the penultimate quarter and 28-23 in the final quarter to seal the win.
Kenyan international shooting guard Eric Mutoro led the charge, scoring a game-high 31 points, while James Mwangi contributed 20 points to the team's victory.
Speaking to Citizen Digital, captain John Washika praised his teammates for their impressive performance, saying, “Through team work and hard work it was easy for us to get our second win to end the series 2-0. We are going to push harder and work more as a team and improve our communication both offensive and defensive.”
Ulinzi Warriors, who topped the regular league with 43 points, will now face either Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) or Strathmore Blades in the semi-final playoffs.
Thunder also qualified for the semi-finals for the second year running after coming back from a game down to win the last two games in their quarter-final playoffs series against Eldonets.
Equity Bank men team, meanwhile, have one foot in the 2019 league semi-finals playoffs after registering a narrow win of 66-64 against EMYBA at Nyayo Gymnasium in Nairobi.
