Reigning Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s Premier League champions Nairobi City Thunder cemented their top spot after ending the regular season on an unbeaten run.
Thunder played their last match at the weekend thrashing Eldonets Platinum 81-43 to bag the maximum 44 points from their 22 outings.
They maintained their flawless run having won last season’s title without losing a match. Thunder, who made history by becoming the first Kenyan club to qualify for the prestigious Basketball Africa League (BAL), have now shifted their focus to the upcoming league play-offs.
They are looking to retain their league gong and qualify for the group qualifications of the 2026 BAL season. They will play the team that finishes eighth on the standings in the quarters.
Thunder team manager Bernet Ojay said they will intensify their preparations as they wait for the remaining regular matches to be played.
“We will train more in readiness for the knockouts because we want to retain our title which will also mean that we will get another chance to play international basketball,” Ojay said.
Former champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Ulinzi Warriors maintained their second and third spots despite not being in action.
They are tied on 35 points though the dockers, who have three matches at hand, have higher chances of finishing second because Warriors can only increase their tally to 37 points if they win their remaining encounter against National Bank of Kenya (NBK) Phoenix.
University of Nairobi (UoN Terror) were the top gainers from the weekend action after garnering four points from their 86-76 win against Strathmore University Blades and 80-73 victory against Eldonets Platinum.
The points propelled them to eighth place, enhancing their chances playing in the play-offs. Blades, who registered mixed results winning 70-55 against NBK Phoenix and dropping a point in their defeat to Terror, are seventh tied on 29 points with Eldonets who lost their two matches.
NBK Phoenix and United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Tigers remain stuck at the bottom and are the unlucky candidates for demotion. USIU-A Tigers were not in action at the weekend after their duel against fifth placed Umoja Basketball Club was postponed.
In the women’s title hunt, Zetech University Sparks dislodged former champions KPA from the top of the table following their double victory at the weekend.
The students now have 38 points, one more than the dockers who didn’t have matches. Sparks have accumulated their points from 18 wins and two losses while KPA have played 19 and have three matches at hand.