KIBAHA (Tanzania) - On their first time of asking, Nairobi City Thunder are through to the Elite 16 after finishing second in the Road to BAL East Division Group D qualifiers on a 3-1 winning ratio.
The Bradley Ibs-coached side survived a JKT onslaught in quarters of 20-18, 23-09, 20-23 and 25-11 to book a place to the final qualifying phase alongside Urunani who finished the competition unbeaten.
The Nairobi-based side prevailed 86-63.
It is not the result or competition we wanted as our target was to qualify - Fotius Ngaiza
Nairobi City Thunder become the third Kenyan side - since Ulinzi Warriors and Kenya Ports Authority - to represent their country in the Elite 16, and are hoping to break the jinx and qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Turning Point: JKT missed all their attempts in the last five minutes of the opening half, as the Thunder went on a 14-0 run to take a 12-point lead that proved a real game changer.
The home team came close severally in the second half but the second quarter dent had already done them in.
Game Hero: Derrick Ogechi dropped 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal in just over 28 minutes on the floor to lead Thunder’s offense.
Stats Don’t Lie: Thunder made 10 three-point attempts in the opening quarter with just two sinking and it was no surprise they trailed the hosts.
The Kenyan champions ended the match on a 12-of-36 from beyond the arc, a 36.4% conversion rate, but the timing of the treys pulled Thunder away on numerous occasions as the hosts struggled to contain them.
Bottom Line: Nairobi City register another success for their club as they will make their debut in the Elite 16. They have about three weeks to regroup and prepare for the final qualifying phase, scheduled to tip off, tentatively, on 12 November.
They Said: "They had many shooters and the three points killed our momentum. We also made numerous mistakes in the second quarter that denied us easy points. It is not the result or competition we wanted as our target was to qualify, but we have picked valuable lessons that will help us as we go again next year," JKT's Fotius Ngaiza.
"We came here with a target of going unbeaten to qualify. A heartbreaking one-point loss to Urunani denied us a perfect run but we are happy to be in the Elite 16. Playing the home team in our final match was not easy. We struggled to make stops in the beginning but made adjustments in time for victory. The first hurdle is done so we shift our focus to Elite 16," - Nairobi City Thunder's Derrick Ogechi.
FIBA