Morans go down to Angola in Fiba AfroBasket contest

The late afternoon  tip off on Saturday saw the Morans  draw battle lines against  Angola  who are the hosts  of the AfroBasket  Tournament  when it will  tip off  in late August this year ( 12 -24th) and the most successful  nation in the AfroBasket  editions  of years gone by, winning  11 times, 5 more than Senegal and Egypt , who follow closely.  

Coach Cliff Owuor's charges were upbeat, aiming  to shake off the cloud  of uncertainties  that rocked the team in the logistical problems that hindered  their availability  for the first game on Friday  where their opponents  Tunisia were awarded a walk over.  

The Morans  competed favourably in the first quarter, winning  the tip and looking  to pull of a surprise against  the Angolans with captain Victor Bosire's three point  shot set the tone  for the quarter winning  the quarter  25-21 while shooting 67 per cent  from the field  with a 8/12 FG attempts.  

Having witnessed  the Kenya Lionesses  struggles  to keep their opponents  off the boards  and inability  to take care of the ball a few weeks  ago as the side  were eliminated from the AfroBasket, the men's  side  were well aware not to suffer the same fate. 

The Angolans were however  quick  to regroup  with  their super quick  Point Guard Childe Dundao  causing  havoc for the Kenyans, with  not only his quickness  being a match up  problem, but his drives and dishes to the hoop and to his shooters  being too much  to handle for the Morans, overcoming  the first quarter  scare from the Kenyans to lead 50-35 at the half.

The Kenyans had led even by double digits  in that second quarter but  it was the loss in focus  and sharpennes  that saw their 15 point lead being reduced to ashes  as the Angolans showed out their Championship  pedigree to claim the halftime lead. The Kenyans  worst  undoing was the six turnovers  they had with their opponents scoring  on five of those occasions  that saw a once  a point  lead by the Angolans balloon to 15 at the half, and it also didn't  help much  that they failed to score  on the last six possessions  of that  quarter. 

The third  quarter was anything  but a game  of catchup for as much as the Kenyan  tried  to come back, the damage  seemed  to have already  been done . Even a momentum shift well into the period  with about  four minutes  to go, as they  had cut the deficit  to an eight point  game was still a task too many to ask , down 15, 65-50. 

The fourth  quarter  was a tale of the previous  quarter with the Angolans  pushing their lead way over the reach of the Kenyans  to see them off, 88-59 at full time.  

It is to be positive  about  the Morans  first quarter  approach that saw them push the multi  time AfroBasket champions  and it'll be hoped  that they could replicate  such in their next game tomorrow as they face off Guinea whom they are tied with at the bottom  of that Group E. 

FUll time, Angola  88 - Kenya 59. 

The team faces Guinea  tomorrow at 1pm as they try to eke  out a win in their now slimmer hopes of qualification in the window  3 of the Ongoing  AfroBasket Qualifiers 2025.