Defending basketball champions Dr Aggrey High School from the coastal region endured a difficult start to their title defense at the 2025 Brookside Kenya ac(KSSA) Term One National Games yesterday.

In their opening Preliminary Pool A match, they suffered a heavy 95-71 defeat to Nairobi’s Dagoretti High School at Shimo La Tewa grounds.

Despite missing four key players due to documentation issues, Dr Aggrey High School initially surprised their opponents by winning the first quarter 18-14.

However, the momentum didn’t last, as Dagoretti High bounced back strongly in the second quarter, outscoring the defending champions 25-12 to seize control of the match.

After the halftime break, Dr Aggrey High continued to fight but were once again overpowered, losing 21-17 in the third quarter.

In the final quarter, their hopes were dashed with a devastating 35-17 loss.

The large crowd of coastal fans who had gathered to support Dr Aggrey High were left disappointed as their team couldn’t capitalize on their early advantage.

Despite the setback, Dr Aggrey High’s Principal Robert Aran remained optimistic, stating, “Losing in the opening fixture doesn’t mean we can’t bounce back. We have been in this situation before and still managed to lift the trophy. We must win our next match, and I’m hopeful that the players who missed out due to documentation issues will be cleared by tomorrow,” he said.