Debutants Eldonets will be looking for their maiden Kenya basketball Federation (KBF) league title when they host Thunder this Saturday in the first play-off.
After finishing 7th in the league, the Maurice Ouma led team faces Thunder that finished second as they seek to qualify into the semifinals.
In their visit Eldoret, Thunders lost 69-59 to the3ir hosts as Ouma wants to bank on their home advantage to make it easy into the semifinals.
“We have had good results at home and we want to replicate the same to Thunders’ who have had a good run in the league. Our focus is to win at home and in our return leg, we get more points to make us go to the best teams in the country,” said Ouma, the former player of Eldonets.
The quarter finals play-offs will be played in three rounds with two sets to be played in Nairobi next weekend.
“We don’t want to play until the 3rd round. We want to finish the business in the second round. If we win at home and the second round, we will save ourselves from the third round, which will be our plan,” added Ouma.
Eldonets accumulated 31 points from 22 matches, won nine and lost 11 as they expect good results.
“As we made debut in this league, we did not expect such results but we did what we could and we did beyond our expectations. The players are in good shape for the playoffs,” added Ouma.
As men take on Thunder, their women counterparts will be playing against Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Youth in the Second Division.
Saturday round one play-off fixtures
Friday 25 | Nyayo
- K U Pirates vs KDF Morans | 6pm
- Equity Bank vs Emyba | 8pm
Saturday 26 | Kisumu
- Lakeside vs Ulinzi | 11am
Eldoret
- Eldonets vs KPA Youth | 9am
- Eldonets vs Thunder | 11am
Mombasa
- Coastal Kings vs Baobab Blazers | 4pm
Kakamega
- NEBULAS vs Jkuat | 9am
Nyayo
- Riara vs Neosasa | 8:30am
- KCITI vs NIBS | 10am
- UoN Terrorists vs Strathmore | 11:30am
- Strathmore vs USIU | 1pm
- Blazers vs Zetech Titans | 2:30pm
- Emyba vs Equity | 4pm
Sunday 27
- NIBS vs KCITI | 8:30am
- Neosasa vs Riara university | 10am
- Zetech Titans vs Blazers | 11:30am
- Storms vs USIU | 1pm
- Barclays Bank vs ANU | 2:30 pm
- Equity Bank vs Emyba | 4pm