KPA’s Ocholla credits fans and discipline as Dockers sail into finals

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) are through to the finals of the Kenya National Women’s Basketball League (KNBL) after an emphatic series win over Equity Hawks in Mombasa over the weekend.

The dockers sealed their place with a dominant 71-48 victory in Game Four at Makande Gymnasium, completing a 3-1 triumph in the semi-final series.

This followed their 63-53 win in Game Three at the same venue.

Assistant Coach Samuel Ocholla hailed the team’s discipline and motivation, crediting thorough preparation and the electric home support for driving them to victory.

“It was a fantastic weekend, and we really played to perfection. The ladies executed our game plan exactly as we had prepared throughout the week,” said Ocholla.

“Defensively, we were solid, offensively we were sharp, and playing at home gave us that extra push from our fans. The girls were motivated and determined, and that spirit carried us to this victory and into the finals,” he added.

KPA will now shift focus to the finals, where they face Zetech Sparks.

The assistant head coach emphasized that the team will adopt a different approach as they prepare for the title-deciding series.

Acknowledging Zetech’s unique style of play, he noted that adjustments will be key to countering their fast-paced game.

“We are going to approach it differently and have a different game plan because Zetech is not Equity, and the way Zetech plays is not the same way Equity plays. Zetech is a run-and-gun team, so we will find a way of trying to cut off those transition baskets for them,” averred Ocholla.

“You remember the last game of the regular season we lost to them by around 20 points at Don Bosco ground. This time round we don’t want to take any chances because we are aiming for the title,” the assistant coach explained.

This will be KPA’s fifth straight finals appearance, having lifted the trophy in four of the last five seasons.

Ocholla says the team remains hungry to add yet another title to their collection.

“This being our fifth finals in a row, out of which we’ve won four and lost one, we intend to win the championship. We lost last season’s championship to Equity here at home, and this time around we don’t want to make the same mistake,” Ocholla noted.

“We want to win two games here, so that by the time we are going to Nairobi, we only need one win. The real game starts now.”