The awarding of top basketballers capped the local basketball league season at the Nyayo National Stadium at the weekend.
Eagle Wings forward Angela Okoth, Tobias Onyango (Kenya Commercial Bank Lions) and Fred Lugasi (Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology) were honoured as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Premier and Division One leagues.
Okoth led Eagle Wings to snatch their maiden women’s league title from Kenya Ports Authority, beating the defending champions 2-1 in the best-of-three series play-offs final.
Onyango was intrumental in leading Lions to their third straight league trophy following their 2-0 win over KPA in the men’s final.
Surrender the title
Lugasi guided newcomers MMUST as they demolished Blazers 2-0 to claim the men’s Division One crown. He scored an average 16 points per game, followed by KPA’s Musa Odari.
Aggressive KPA guard Hellen Oketch starred against Wings in their decisive Game Three tie on Sunday, even as the dockwomen went down fighting 54-52 to surrender the title they have won a record nine times.
She was deservedly named Most Defensive Player, same as KPA men’s team guard Geofrey Omondi in the Premier League.
Sself-supporting teams
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) officials, led by 2nd national vice-chairman and Eastern branch chairman Chris Kinyua, awarded the teams.
Nderitu Gikaria from the Kenya National Sports Council graced the occasion as old players, led by former international Valentine Apondi, for the first time presented trophies.
Wings’ Anastasia Njeri scored an average 20 points per game, finally destroying KPA with her 20 points in their 54-52 win. Her team mates Hilda Luvandwa and Caroline “Majeng’’ Achieng’ consistently scored double figures in every game.
Eagle Wings became the first self-supporting team to win the league championship. Another self-supporting team, Eastern Queens, were third in the women’s section as Blazers finished runner-up in the lower category despite entering the play-offs as underdogs.
MMUST forward Martin Kitonga was behind the students’ achievement. He scored a game-high 44 points in their 82-72 win over Blazers in Game Two of the play-off final.