REPORT: Clippers surprise Ruiru Baptist as 4-Christ rally late in overtime to secure a win
KSBC weekend openers were packed with exhilarating action, full of surprises and upsets. The day’s opener began with a walkover being awarded to Calvary Warriors after Thika Pines was a no-show. This was followed by a close encounter involving Dub Neshen and Kiambu County which ended in disappointment for the clergymen 62-59 Dub Neshen the eventual winners.
Simultaneous matches were held across the venue with Pirates taking on Saints on court A and Annunaki Spurs against 4-Christ in court B. The first game ended with a win for the strong Pirates team coming from being crowned last season’s champions. This was a landslide for the favorites who took the game 56-45. The encounter between Annunaki Spurs and 4-Christ was a close one with the latter rallying late in the game and in overtime to secure the win. A strong start by the Spurs gave them the lead for most of the game with Everland Ongiri leading the way with 16 points however, a late surge led by Teddy Kakai with a game-high 11 points ensured the Christians went home happy. Notable performances from the game included Majaliwa Gati who had 11 points and new kid Atem Garang 10 points also helped out big time.
Jedi Order dismantled Del Monte 82-52 in a one-sided encounter from the start to finish. Former Kenyan international Alex Lugasi led the team by scoring a game-high 22 points scoring four 3-pointers in the game. He was followed closely by the ever-resilient Lenson Kisia with 19 points and Collins Adodi with 17 points for the day.
The last game of the day featured Ruiru Baptist and last season’s bottom-of-the-table Clippers who surprised many by blowing out one of the most consistent contenders 62-38. Home court advantage together with a very resilient fan base played a big factor in their victory. It was however evident that Ruiru Baptist looked out of place in the Juja den and trailed for the entire game to their ultimate loss.
Questions seem to be creeping into everyone’s minds going into matchday 2 considering a very eventful first day back. Tomorrow’s games are certainly a must-watch judging from the look of the standings so far.
