Stanbic Warriors 65-70 Tiger Head Power (Power win series 3-2)
Tiger Head Power will play at the championship round for the first time since 2011. They eliminated Stanbic Warriors in the five-game spread playoffs semi final with a 70-65 at the climax of the series at Lugogo on Sunday.
The 2011 champions have Joseph Ikong thank fro being stellar through the series as he has put up the numbers. The shooting guard delivered team high 22 points and picked 10 rebounds to put Power into the finals.
“This year i want to win and that is the most important thing” Ikong told Kawowo Sports after the triumph.
Power got off a 26-11 first quarter, then Warriors rallied back in the next two quarters outscoring Power 48-27 to go into the final and decisive fourth quarter up 59-53 on Mark Opio’s 3-point play at the third quarter buzzer. While the game looked like it would end in a sea-saw, Abdulah “Dullah” Ramadhan (13 points) made sure that didn’t happen when he knocked down a 3-ball to lift Power to 68-64 with 1:22.
“I told Dullah and Ikong to do the scoring – to give me the numbers and i do the rest” a delighted Bernes Akunda said. “I think the guys did well despite the lapses especially in the third and fourth (quarters). I had to throw on more defensive players in the fourth quarter” he added.
Micheal Kojo stepped in big for Philip Amenyi (shoulder) with 13 points, grabbed game high 17 rebounds and swatted 4 Warriors’ shots. “Today we didn’t play with our biggest man – Ameny and it had to make other big men stepped up” Ikong said of Kojo’s performance.
Mark Opio scored game high 25 points and handed out 5 assists in a losing effort for Warriors who were abysmall in the decisive period netting a mere 6 points in the final ten minutes. Steven Okiasi 12 points