24 August 2006

KENYA : Coast Youth No Match for the Powerful Coop Bank

By Philip Onyango
Nairobi

Cooperative Bank of Kenya maintained their winning ways when they hammered stubborn Coast Youth 65-49 in an entertaining national classic basketball league match at the Mombasa Baptist High School grounds.

CYS, fresh from a 76-64 victory over Nakuru Club at the same venue the previous weekend played hard but failed to contain the more technically superior and speedy Cooperative under the charge of national coach Thomas Smarts Olumbo.

Coop who rested Peter Kiganya in this encounter had Cliff Ochieng, Furaha Odari and Collins Macharia in great form as they led 21-08 in the first quarter.

Sensing danger, CYC who also played without forward Ken Okello who leaves for a United States College next week, improved their game within the second quarter. Schoolboys Tony Okello and Lemmy Meshark contributed vital points as they trailed 13-14 for a 35-21 halftime score.

The Coastals gave the bankers anxious moments in the last quarter which they won 17-13 but it was not enough to cancel the deficit.

Macharia led the scorecard for Cooperative bank with 13 points. Ochieng had 8 while Lemmy Meshack led the scorecard for CYC with 15 assisted by Tony Owino (8).

The women's match between Sprite Storms and Kenya Ports Authority did not start after the KBF cancelled it at the request of Storms.The match, which is expected to be explosive, should be the last local assignment fo KPA's Rose Ouma and school girl Beatrice Awino of Storms who have landed scholarships to colleges in the United States.

Meanwhile the Nairobi Basketball Association has congratulated the three players for getting scholarship to study and play basketball in the US.

Nairobi Basketball Association chairman Ronny Owino said Kenya stands a high stand of winning international events if the players abroad could be recalled to beef up local players.

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