Ulinzi, USIU crowned Biro Lich winners
Ulinzi Warriors' Tiberious Menya (right) tries to go past Kenya Coast Polytechnic's Kelvin Mulili during their quarter finals match at this year's Biro Lich Tournament at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports ground in Kisumu on October 21, 2018. PHOTO | VICTOR OTIENO |
What you need to know:
- The 2017 winners, Team Resist were nowhere in the team lists as they failed to show up for the fifth edition of the annual tournament, which aims at fighting drugs and crime through sports.
- In the women's finals, USIU had to fight hard to edge out stubborn hosts Lady Bucks 33-27 after taking a slim 18-17 lead at half time.
Kenya Basketball Federation Premier League sides Ulinzi Warriors and USIU are the men and women's winners of this year's Biro Lich Tournament club edition.
An early 7-4 lead over Barcadia Natives in the first quarter of the tense men's finals is all the visiting Warriors needed to lift the trophy after the match, which was being played at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports ground in Kisumu, was rained on.
The tournament organisers, together with the officials of both teams reached a unanimous decision to bring the game to an end, since the court had been rendered not playable by the rain and it was also late in the night.
But the triumph by Stephen Barcilol’s side did not come as a surprise to many, as they had dominated the two-day tournament, winning all their group matches, before they hammered USIU-men, also a KBF side 48 - 11 in the quarter finals and Kenya Coast 64-26 in the semi-finals.
On the other hand, Barcadia Natives stormed the finals of the competition in style after they beat KBF side Kisumu Lakeside 40 - 29 in the second semi-finals. Earlier on, they had beaten Nairobi All-Stars 40-19 in the quarter finals.
"We are very happy to win. The victory motivated us a lot and it also helped us identify our weak points and see how to correct them as we prepare for the play-offs scheduled for November,” said Barcilol, the Warriors' team manager.
The 2017 winners, Team Resist were nowhere in the team lists as they failed to show up for the fifth edition of the annual tournament, which aims at fighting drugs and crime through sports.
In the women's finals, USIU had to fight hard to edge out stubborn hosts Lady Bucks 33-27 after taking a slim 18-17 lead at half time.
Coming from the break, the hosts put up a spirited fight and were up 27-26 at the end of third quarter, before Mitchel Wahome’s three pointer in the dying minutes of the finals restored USIU’s lead and earned them the title as they narrowly led the last quarter 5-2.
Victor Bosire of Barcadia Natives was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the men’s category, while Liz Akinyi of Tigoi Girls scooped the ladies' title.
The event was sponsored by Safarilink, Equator bottlers, Creative natives, Healthcare and Golden Entertainment.
Others were Skylark Kicens Sports, Jamii Telkom Limited, Lake Dental Clinic, Webba Sports, Anti-doping Agency of Kenya, Club da place and Club Barcadia.
