How Equity Hawks overpowered Stanbic Aces to reach KNBL final

Equity Hawks completed a thrilling comeback to reach the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Women’s Premier League finals after overpowering Stanbic Aces 82–64 in a winner-takes-all Game 5 at Nyayo Stadium on Thursday evening.

Led by captain Betty Kananu’s game-high 27 points and nine rebounds, the Hawks clinched the best-of-five semi-final series 3–2 to set up a championship showdown against defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

The victory capped a remarkable turnaround for Equity, who had to recover from losing the opening game and later falling behind 2–1 before winning the final two games to book their place in the title decider.

Stanbic took Game 1 with a 66–60 victory before Equity responded emphatically in Game 2, winning 70–37 to level the series. The Aces then edged Game 3 by 56–53 to move within one win of the finals, putting the Hawks under pressure ahead of Game 4.

Equity responded in style in Game 4, overwhelming Stanbic 68–36 to level the series at 2–2 and force a decisive fifth game.

Fridah Yagomba Atieno was at the heart of that response, producing a game-high 20 points in a performance that belied her experience at this stage of the competition.

In her maiden season with Equity Hawks, Atieno has made an immediate impression, and her Game 4 display showed the composure of a seasoned playoff performer.

She shot seven of 13 from the field, including two three-pointers, and converted four of her five free throws to help the Hawks keep their championship ambitions alive.

The performance was particularly significant for Yagomba, who moved to Equity from the university basketball system at USIU-A. Having made the transition to the senior club game this season, she will now make her first appearance in the league finals as the Hawks chase the title.

With the series tied, Equity carried that momentum into Thursday’s decider and delivered their most decisive performance of the semi-final contest.

The Hawks came out firing, taking the first quarter 29–22 before extending their advantage with a 21–13 second-quarter performance to head into halftime with a commanding 50–35 lead.

Equity maintained control after the break, restricting Stanbic to 14 points in the final quarter while adding 14 of their own to seal an 18-point victory.

Kananu led the way with 27 points and nine rebounds, delivering a captain’s performance when her team needed it most. Taundeciah Peters contributed 17 points and nine rebounds, while Melissa Akinyi added 14 points. Atieno also finished in double figures with 11 points as Equity spread the scoring across their lineup.

For Stanbic, Daisy Ayodi and Beryl Adhiambo scored 13 points apiece, but their contributions were not enough to prevent the Aces from surrendering their chance to reach the final.

The difference was especially evident on the boards. Equity dominated the rebounding battle 60–33 and scored 26 second-chance points compared with Stanbic’s five. The Hawks also received 29 points from their bench, underlining the depth that proved crucial in the deciding game.

“In a game of this magnitude, every possession matters. We stayed focused, trusted our preparation, and kept pushing as a team,” Kananu said after the victory.

Head coach Ben Oluoch also credited his side’s depth and discipline on the boards, key factors in a game in which Equity controlled the contest for much of the evening.

Equity’s reward is a meeting with defending champions Kenya Ports Authority, who booked their place in the final after sweeping TH3 Swish 3–0 in their semi-final series.

The Hawks will now look to turn their hard-fought comeback into a championship run against a KPA side that has already demonstrated its strength by progressing without needing a fourth game.

For Equity, reaching the final caps a resilient semi-final campaign. For Atieno, it marks a major milestone in her first season with the club.

And with Kananu leading from the front, the Hawks will head into the title showdown believing their comeback has given them the momentum to challenge for the crown.