Hammamet — Mary Lisa Omondi scored eight points, all from beyond the arch, as Kenya’s 3×3 women’s basketball team powered into the final of the Africa Beach Games in Hammamet on Friday with a 14-10 victory over hosts Tunisia.
The Kenyan girls will now take on Mali in the final at 4pm local time (6pm EAT), a repeat of their group phase meeting where the West Africans won 21-14.
Captain Omondi led the quartet of Zetech University teammate Madina Okot, MaryAnne Nyagaki and Margaret Nerea in dominating against the home girls, assuring Kenya of its fourth medal at the Games.
With this, Kenya has now bettered their performance from Sal, Cape Verde, in 2019, when they clinched only three medals.
-More medals-
Wrestlers Mark Omumasaba and Mathayo Mahabila clinched silver and bronze while the women’s handball team won silver.
Against hosts Tunisia, the Kenyan girls were determined from the start, with a place on the podium at stake.
They had a good start and put their feet on the front, scoring first.
With under four minutes to play though, the Tunisians had rallied to tie the game at 8-8 with Haddadi Abir shooting for two but Lisa responded in Kind to restore a two point gap for Kenya.
With 1:25 to play, Kenya led 12-9, but they had a scare when Naima Attia was fouled, but luckily, she only made one of two from the free throw line, the difference remaining just two points.
The girls stretched the lead to four points, Okot going for a lay-up to stretch the game to a single point lead.
With 5.9secs to play, she was fouled and was given two shots on the free throw line. She converted one of them but it was no problem as the four-point gap was already too big to bridge.
-Timothy Olobulu is reporting from Hammamet, Tunisia-
