Eldoret Basketball League (EBL) defending champions Sirikwa Pentecostal Fellowship (SPF) suffered a shock exit in the playoff group stage, paving the way for former champions Wepesi, Kimumu FC, Storm Trooperz and Only Jesus Christ Saves (OJCS) to advance to the semi-finals set for today. 

SPF, who lifted the 2023-2024 EBL title, were eliminated by OJCS in a best-of-three group-stage series at Calvary Chapel indoor basketball court in Eldoret.

Despite putting up a spirited fight, SPF fell 66-70 in the decisive match. EBL official Kenneth Chemwok confirmed the semi-final fixtures yesterday, sharing them with People Sport. 

Determined to stay in the title race, SPF started strong but narrowly lost the first quarter 19-21. OJCS then turned the tide in the second quarter, outscoring SPF 13-7.

The defending champions bounced back with a 19-12 win in the third quarter, but OJCS edged the final period 24-21 to seal their place in the last four, where they will face Storm Trooperz at the same venue. 

In other play-off action, 2022-2023 league champions Wepesi secured their semi-final spot by defeating Panthers in two consecutive matches of their best-of-three series.

They claimed a narrow 68-66 victory on January 11 before edging the second game 77-72 on January 17. Panthers, coached by Chemwok, fought hard but fell short in both encounters. 

Wepesi, under player-coach Meshack Oloo, will now face Kimumu Fun Club in the semi-finals. Kimumu, coached by Nairobi City Thunder player Taylor Ongwae’s elder brother, James “Tyson” Ongwae, are eager to upset the regular-season leaders. Oloo exuded confidence ahead of today’s first leg of the semi-final series. “We want to set the pace by winning the opening game,” he stated. 

He revealed that his team had been rigorously training for the past two weeks at Holtmann and Kelly Arena in Uasin Gishu High School, fine-tuning their strategy. Wepesi’s starting lineup will feature Oloo himself, alongside key players Elvis Mwangi, Israel Gathiari, Bryan Kibiwott and Marlon Odhiambo. 

On the other hand, Kimumu FC’s tactician and team captain, Tyson Ongwae, acknowledged the tough challenge ahead. “We are facing Wepesi, the league leaders and my former team. It’s going to be a real battle royale,” he remarked. 

Kimumu’s first five for the high-stakes clash include Ongwae as the shooting guard, Clifford Mumbo at centre, Tony Rono as small forward, Bernard Sikolia as a power forward, and Duncan Chebi as pa oint guard. The bench will feature Peter Natembeya and Allan Tanui, among others. 

Meanwhile, OJCS coach Ricky Kipruto expects a fierce contest against Storm Trooperz. “They are a strong side, but I trust my players to dominate both defensively and offensively to secure victory,” he stated. 

Storm Trooperz assistant coach Brian Osaka echoed Kipruto’s sentiments, saying, “It will be a tough fixture, but we are ready to give our best and get the result we need.”