The Kenya Morans stand still for the national anthem before their FIBA Afrocan semi-final match against Morocco in Bamako, mali on June 25, 2019. PHOTO/FIBA
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 25 – The Kenya Morans have made history once again, progressing to the final of the FIBA Afrocan Championship in Bamako, Mali, after thrashing Morocco 96-66 in the semi-finals on Thursday evening.
Ulinzi Warriors shooting guard Erick Mutoro put up a fantastic man of the match performance, bagging a game-high 32 points as the Morans thrashed the North Africans to book their first ever final in the continental showpiece.
The Kenyans took a commanding lead from gun to tape, perhaps scrapping a page off Wednesday’s quarter final win over Morocco, having let a lead slip only to recover and win in overtime.
Mutoro was unplayable on a night that he steered the Kenyans right through the Moroccan territory, hitting eight from outside the arc on 13 attempts, picking up four rebounds, one assist and one steal as Kenya steam rolled their opponents.
Kenya’s Eric Mutoro dribbles away during the semi finals of the FIBA Afrobasket Championship in Bamako, Mali against Morocco on July 25, 2019. PHOTO/FIBA
Kenya’s star player Tyler Okari had a quiet night, but still managed to pick up the joint-second highest individual score of the night, sinking in 20 points for the Morans and stretching further as the tournament’s top point scorer.
Kenya started on beast mode, stretching to a 12-2 lead prompting the Moroccan bench to vehemently signal for a time out.
Mutoro had sunk in two threes from the same spot within a minute and he went on to sink two more as Kenya went to the first quarter break with a healthy 27-11 lead. Mutoro had contributed 16 of those points while Okari had five with Tom Wamukota sinking six.
At half time, the Morans were sailing comfortably and led 50-26, stretching it further to a 77-46 scoreline by the end of the third quarter.
Morocco’s Abdelhakim Zouita is clouded by Kenyan markers during the semi finals of the FIBA Afrobasket Championship in Bamako, Mali on July 25, 2019. PHOTO/FIBA
In the final quarter, it turned up to be a training session for the Morans with the technical bench even having the comfort of resting all the star players including skipper Griffin Ligare, Okari and Mutoro.
Wamukota put the ending of the game in scintillating fashion with a brilliant dunk as Kenya announced her presence in African basketball with some roaring thunder.
