NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13 – Nairobi City Thunder turned the style on Equity Dumas in overtime, to beat them 80-71 and clinch the Eliud Owalo Foundation Elite Men’s tournament title at the Ulinzi Sports Complex Sunday night.
Griffin Ligare, duly named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, had sent the game to overtime with a brilliant three poiunter with 14 seconds left on the clock, and the unbeaten Thunder went into the extra five minutes like wounded lions to command from start to finish and clinch the title.
Equity looked as though they were on the verge of sealing a win against the highly fancied Thunder, the first team to beat them this season, with scores at 65-62 with seconds left on the clock, but skipper Ligare faded off from downtown to tie the game and send it to overtime.
“We are disappointed of course because it is something we had talked about, being very careful with Griffin on three points. We just lost concentration in a very vital moment and that changed the game. They were more motivated going into overtime and we couldn’t respond,” Equity’s head coach Carey ‘T9’ Odhiambo said after the game.
For Thunder, it was yet another brilliant display of basketball as they showed grit and fight to win the game.
Thunder coach Ibs delighted to win
“Today wasn’t such a good day for us because we weren’t shooting as well as we do, we weren’t rebounding as well as we do something that is usually our strength but we expect this. There are some days things just don’t work. But kudos to the players because they found a way to win. Equity have a really good team and they pushed us to the wall,” noted Brad Ibs, the Thunder coach.
Ligare, who had been rested for most of the games in the tournament clocked 42 minutes in the final, and it showed why he was named MVP with an enviable 25-point performance.
Garang Ding chalked 16 points while Albert Odero was the overtime star, with 10 points. Odero had been used sparingly, with coach Ibs saying he had decided to rest most of his players, but turned up huge in overtime helping the team win.
Equity’s Eugene Adera put on a show as well as he chalked a double double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Feisal Aden also turned up with 15 points. Marol Achei also chalked double digit scores with 12.
Thunder, Equity battle toe to toe
Different from their group stage meeting when Thunder enjoyed a healthy lead until the final quarter, the two sides battled toe to toe for most of the game.
Thunder led 17-11 at the end of the first quarter, but Equity rallied to close the gap and led 27-24 at halftime. At the end of the third quarter though, Thunder led by a basket, scores at 42-40 in their favour.
The fourth quarter then blew up. The two sides were trading threes at the halfway point with Ding, Feisal and Adera shooting well from downtown.
With 1:21 to play, Equity called a time out after James Mwangi had taken thunder into a single point lead with an easy lay-up, scores at 62-61. On return, Equity with possession, Victor Bosire drew a foul and made both attempts from the free throw line to take the scores to 63-62.
Thunder responded with a time-out call, 50 seconds left on the clock. On return, it seemed all to go Equity’s way as Feisal also drew a foul with some intelligent play, and he made 2/2 from the free throw line to take the scores to 65-62.
Equity fail to manage their defense
Equity just needed to manage the clock with 22 seconds left on the clock, but it took the brilliance of Ligare, who faded off under a challenge outside the arch to lump in a three-pointer with 14 seconds to play, sending the auditorium to frenzy.
Equity took the ball and sought their shooter Feisal, who tried to go for three, but hit the rim, the game going to overtime.
The bankers seemed spent and jaded, and Thunder brought in their star man Odero who engineered a total dominance with Thunder going on a 7-0 scoring run to deflate their opponents and stroll to a win.
