Teenage sensation Okot fires KPA to first AWBL semis
The 19-year-old center was good for a match-high 31 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks to finish with a championship-high 45 ranking in efficiency, all achieved in 31:28 minutes.
ALEXANDRIA (Egypt) - Teenage sensation Madina Okot who was a doubt for the Quarter-Finals at the ongoing Africa Women's Basketball League (AWBL), after an injury scare in Kenya Ports Authority's (KPA) final group match, top scored for her side, leading them to an 81-66 win over nemesis Equity Bank.
The all-Kenyan quarters affair pitted Antony Ojukwu's side against Benson Oluoch's bankers.
The 19-year-old center was good for a match-high 31 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks to finish with a championship-high 45 ranking in efficiency, all achieved in 31:28 minutes.
"She is one of the outstanding players in this championship so we keep on motivating her to bring her A-game and that is what we did ahead of this game and I am happy she delivered," Ojukwu said of her game.
Victoria Reynolds was the other player for KPA to reach double digits with 11. Equity's charge was led by Christine Akinyi who scored 15 adding 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
KPA came into the matchup on a 3-1 record in the Group Phase while the bankers won twice in the preliminaries for a 2-2 record but the fight was more than a numbers game; history and familiarity playing a part.
It was a cagey affair, that had Oluoch's charges leading 5-4 in the opening five minutes before Reynolds restored the lead for the Kenyan champions from behind the arc to orchestrate a 7-0 run that put her side 11-5 ahead as the quarter ended 14-7 in favour of KPA off an Aminata Samassekou trey.
Maryann Nyagaki and Betty Kananu's layup and assist took Equity's tally to 12 in the opening two minutes of the second to trail by six at 18-12 for Okot rose for a turnaround jumper to extend KPA's lead to 10 at 22-12, Belinda Okoth having scored moment earlier to continue the dockers' run.
Ojukwu's charges went on a 12-point run to take their lead to 34-15 with 3.55 minutes to play, Grace Malu breaking the streak off a jump shot. Melissa and Judith Pantaleo added four more as the side trailed 30-16 in the quarter to head to the halftime break on a 21-point deficit.
"It was a good game and we had a good second quarter. The energy, teamwork and togetherness are the secrets to such good runs and whenever my players get themselves in a hole, they know how to get back and that has been crucial," Ojukwu added.
KPA who had 8 turnovers in the opening quarter, gave the ball away just twice in the second while Equity had 7 more for 14 at halftime. The leaders scored 9 from the opposition's turnovers while adding 12 fast break points as the bankers struggled to contain them.
Okot scored six in quick succession to get action in the second half going, taking the score to 50-23 as Christine Akinyi responded from behind the arc. Equity trailed by 25 in the first five minutes of the third quarter.
Oluoch's charges went on a 20-point win in the last 5 minutes, with Christine Akinyi scoring half while restricting KPA to 5 in the period to cut their deficit to 10 at 61-51 ahead of the final period.
The bankers fed off their third-quarter good run, putting up four in the opening two minutes for 61-53 but three costly turnovers gave KPA the chance to pull away again with some quick breaks for a 72-57 lead with five minutes on the clock as they went on to win.
"Our concentration and focus are worrying as we are losing our leads. We need to have that mental toughness and character to take us to the last whistle," Ojukwu said.
Meanwhile, Oluoch blamed the loss on having no answers for Okot, adding that they allowed KPA to go on costly runs.
FIBA