Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) staged a last-minute, spirited fight to secure second place in the standings of the inaugural East Africa Basketball Championship Cup (EABCC), defeating Tanzania’s Army Basketball Club (ABC) 85-82.

The Fiba Africa-organised event, held at the Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium, saw KPA rise to prominence with this crucial win, following a series of tough matches.

KPA, Kenya’s representatives at the tournament, started their campaign with a 76-63 victory over Burundian side Les Hippos, while their compatriots, Equity Dumas, suffered a heavy 83-64 defeat to Tanzania’s Dar City.

However, KPA faced a setback when they were narrowly beaten 69-65 by Dar City, who showcased their strength early on.

Meanwhile, Burundi’s Les Hippos and Remesha clashed in a derby, with Remesha securing a dominant 76-55 win after having earlier defeated ABC 84-75.

On the second day of the competition, Burundian and Tanzanian teams dominated.

Remesha and Dar City both won their games, establishing themselves as the frontrunners.

Remesha defeated Les Hippos 76-55 and went on to beat ABC 84-75, while Dar City managed to defeat KPA 69-65 and Equity Dumas 83-64.

KPA bounced back in their third game, trouncing Equity Dumas 73-55, while Remesha continued their strong run with a 77-58 win over Dar City, securing the top spot on the table with 6 points. KPA, with 5 points, closely followed in second, thanks to a superior points difference of 27 over Dar City’s 4-point difference.

Remesha, with their third win in a row, increased their points tally to 6, while Dar City, despite being defeated by Remesha, had 7 points after their victory over ABC. KPA’s performance remained consistent, as they narrowly edged out ABC 85-82 in their fourth game, while Remesha crushed Equity Dumas 106-64.

By the tournament’s final day, Remesha was in pole position with 8 points, while KPA and Dar City shared 7 points each.

The dockers held a superior 30-point difference compared to Dar City’s 12. Burundi’s Les Hippos had 6 points and Equity Dumas, along with Tanzania’s ABC, were yet to secure a win.