Dumas storm semis after edging Umoja

The Bankers secured the semifinal ticket after winning the decisive Game Three to take the best-of-three quarterfinal series 2-1.

Equity had won Game One 68-50 before Umoja bounced back to claim Game Two 62-58 last weekend, setting up a winner-takes-all encounter.

The Bankers are likely to face Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the semifinals, with the Dockers hosting Strathmore Blades in Game Two of their quarterfinal series in Mombasa today. 

KPA won Game One 77-61 in Nairobi last weekend and need just one victory from the remaining two games to seal their semifinal berth.

The other semi-final will pit defending champions and unbeaten Nairobi City Thunder against bankers Stanbic Shields, who eliminated Ulinzi Warriors in their quarterfinal series.

Equity made a slow start against Umoja, narrowly losing the opening quarter 22-20. They responded strongly in the second quarter, outscoring Umoja 24-14 to take a 44-36 lead into halftime.

Umoja came back strongly after the break, winning the third quarter 12-7 to reduce the deficit. However, Equity held their nerve in the final quarter, scoring 24 points against Umoja’s 19 to secure a 75-67 victory at the final buzzer.

Jordan Pipkin was the star for Equity, leading all scorers with 30 points, while Alex Nzuki and Dennis Koja combined for 27 points.

For Umoja, Clinton Lijondo, Agulet Malek and Dolph Otieno combined for 30 points.

Equity finished third in the regular season with 35 points, while Umoja occupied sixth place with 33 points.