• SPORTS

Falcons outwit Wildcats in renewed fourth-place play-in

• 18 Hours Ago

Mariud Ngula



Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) women’s basketball premier league wrapped up its playoff classification matches last weekend, with upsets after renewed rivalry in the play-in encounter.



Held at Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS), Saturday’s final fourth-place play-in encounter saw contenders Basketball Arts School (BAS) Falcons beat University of Namibia (Unam) Wildcats 71-39 to become the league’s final four.



The clash, which renewed last season’s play-in rivalry that saw Wildcats emerge victorious, proved to be a different ball game this time around, with Falcons having clued up with improved gameplay.



Falcons’ winning strategy



Falcons relied on a fast-paced, transition-heavy style of play, rushing back to defend immediately after every scoring attempt, then pushing forward quickly once they regained possession.



This led them to a 14-9 lead in the opening quarter, with Wildcats playing catch-up in the second quarter, coming close with a two-goal difference (26-24).



However, Falcons proved too strong over their last season’s leaders, extending the lead to a decisive 13-point cushion (45-32) in the third quarter and ultimately a 32-point margin.



Overcoming history



Reflecting on the victory, Falcons captain Foibe Elago was all smiles, admitting that they almost fumbled the game at some point, but held their own.



“Given last season’s history [when we lost], we didn’t want history to repeat itself, so the girls held their nerve very well. I am very proud of them for this,” she said.



The result means BAS Falcons are now placed fourth and will face undefeated regular season leaders Unam Phoenix in their best-of-five semi-final ties to decide which team advances to the final.



On this, Elago said: “As a team, we are excited for the next games against Phoenix. As much as we are in fourth place, we are looking forward to [giving them a run for their money].”



The other semi-final sees regular season runners-up Ongos Shooting Stars take on third-place play-in winners Atlantic Storms in a best-of-five series to decide the finalists.



Rollercoaster results in men’s premier league



Men’s premier league playoffs were played outright after the regular season and saw season leaders Afro Stars fall in their first game of a seven-game series against fourth-placed Quality Basketball Club (QBC).



Afro Stars led 18-13 after the first quarter, fell behind 33-34 at half-time, regained the lead 48-40 in the third, only to squander it 56-58 in the fourth and deciding quarter.



Unam derby



In the other semi-final tie, which is a Unam derby between Rebels (which ended third in the regular season) and Wolves (second-placed), the latter drew first blood in the opening series, proving too strong for Rebels.



The opening quarter saw Wolves lead by a comfortable 17-point margin (37-20).



Rebels tumbled to a 25-point loss in the second quarter (57-32) and played catch-up to gain an improved 22-point difference in the third quarter (73-51).



Their efforts to get back the points came too little too late in the fourth quarter, where they ultimately lost the match 88-71.



– [email protected]