Basketball: Blades Ochieng reflects on uneven season as attention shifts to playoffs

 Strathmore Blades head coach Tony Ochieng has attributed
their weekend league match win, a 68 -50 drubbing of Umoja  to team work as they winded up their regular
season of the Kenya National Basketball Men’s Premier League with victory

The Students’ win cemented their sixth-place slot on the
log, and Ochieng has promised fireworks in the playoffs with the missing
players joining the team.

“We played as a team which really made a very big change.
For me I am happy that the team did well and we are really working hard so that
we can beat our opponents in the playoffs.

I am also happy to report that my players who are coming
from the academic trip abroad will be reporting from Thursday for training in
readiness for the playoffs and we shall be a full house. What I can tell our
opponents is to watch this space,” Ochieng said.

As the regular season comes to an end for the Blades,
Ochieng summarized how the season has been.

“We had ups and downs, we lost eight players, some
transferred to big teams, and others went to the United States while others
were done with school after clearing the university education. It was not good
for us,” he said. “Only winning three games in the first leg which made us sit
down as a team, did some recruitment which yielded fruits in the second leg.”

During the second leg, we had good projection winning almost
70% of the matches which pushed us to position six.

Ochieng continued, “One of the key things that made us
climb[the table] was the commitment from the players and the direct impact from
the new players, it was really good, they brought in some good energy, young
players, fresh legs and they were able to do things right.”

The two players who’ll be joining the camp from the academic
trip are Jordan Adera and Jordy Handa

The Blades, after the weekend win, wrapped up the regular
season at position six with 33 points after playing all the 22 games, winning
11 and losing an equal number while Umoja settled for 28 points at position 10 after
playing the same number of matches, winning six and losing 16.

Elsewhere, USIU Tigers head coach David Maina has praised
his charges for finishing in third position even as he shifts focus to the
playoffs.

Tigers hammered fellow varsity side Africa Nazarene
University’s Wolfpacks 51-38 on Saturday before losing 78-50 to the University
of Nairobi’s Terror on Sunday at the Nyayo Gymnasium.

“It was not about the result for us because regardless of
the outcome we still maintained our third position, so we want to prepare for
the playoffs and see what we need to do and the areas we need to work on so
that we can have a good playoff. 

So far so good and I want to appreciate my players for
keeping a good performance throughout the regular season and let’s now see how
the playoffs are going to be,” Maina said.

USIU Tigers concluded their regular season in the third
position on the log with 38 points after winning 16 games and losing six from the
22 matches.

Equity Dumas 61-57 Ulinzi Warriors- MP

Eldonets 54-93 Zetech Sparks- WP

ANU Panthers 27-67 Equity Hawks- WP

UON Dynamites 54-74 USIU Flames- WP

ANU Wolfpacks 38-51 USIU Tigers- MP

Strathmore Blades 68-50 Umoja- MP

Storms 54-30 UON Dynamites – WP

ANU Panthers 43-64 USIU Flames- WP

UoN Terror 78-50 USIU Tigers-MP

ANU Wolfpacks 53-59 Equity Dumas- MP