By Brown Msayni
The defending champions, JKT, yesterday annihilated Mzinga of Morogoro 99-60 in the ongoing National Basketball Championship at the National Indoor Stadium.
With lethal shooters up front, JKT looked the better side form the first whistle, pressing Mzinga players deep into their own half.
However, Mzinga refused to back down and attacked sporadically, but found themselves trailing 32-16 in the first quarter.
Francis Mlelwa, who buried 17 points for JKT, was a thorn to Mzinga’s shot blockers who desperately strived to deny JKT stretch the cushion.
JKT went into the breather with a comfortable 62-33 lead before adding 17 points in the third quarter against 12 points of Mzinga.
As the game wore on, Mzinga mounted their efforts in a bid to reduce the deficit or even post a victory, but the more they attacked the more the exposed themselves defensively.
The fourth quarter saw the defending champions notch 20 more points to wrap up the demolition of the Morogoro outfit.
JKT captain Hamid Choka fired 15 points to emerge the second best scorer for the Dar es Salaam giants.
Mzinga points were scored by Doto Zefania who chalked 14 followed by Said Hamis with nine.
In another game, Spurs of Dodoma took on red-hot Savio and the latter won 90-67.
Savio relied on Paschal Mshana and Silvian Iyunzu up front to trouble their opponents.
Mshana scored 20 points to emerge the team’s top scorer while his hard fighting team mate Iyunzu fired 11.
Savio Savio stretched their winning run after edging out Oilers 70-65 on Sunday while Spurs, who were smarting from the 56-43 defeat to Morogoro’s Young Warriors, continued their woes.
The teams that are battling it out for the coveted men’s national title are Spurs, Mzinga, Young Warriors, ABC, Oilers, Savio and the defending champions, JKT.