This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
On Friday, December 20, 2019, the Equity Bank Hawks made history by retaining the National Women's Basketball League title with a thrilling 61-51 win over Kenya Ports Authority in Game Five of the finals playoffs at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Finals MVP Annerose Mandela led the charge for the bankers, scoring 19 points and doing the damage as the bankers ran out 3-2 winners in the best-of-five series.
Despite a strong comeback by KPA, the Equity Bank Hawks held on to their lead, with Mandela making crucial baskets to seal the win.
"I didn't like the way we started. We gave them a big lead and we had to dig and dig but in the end we didn't have the legs to carry us through," said KPA coach Mike Opel.
Equity Bank Hawks coach David Maina praised his team's performance, saying, "We played well. We played as a team. Our execution was on point." He also commended MVP Mandela, saying, "I'm so happy for Mandela. She played like a veteran. Her job was to ensure Indasi (Hilda) does not have a great game because we knew she is the main executioner for KPA. And she did that well."
