Central Knights were crowned Central Zone Basketball (Cezobal) champions for the first time after overpowering giants, Cougars, 69-63 in a nerve-wrecking final at African Bible College (ABC) In-door Court in Lilongwe on Saturday night.
The finals were played in the best-of-three series and Knights won 2-1 to end Cougars’ dominance in the region.
Inspired by the team’s Director, Barlet Mafuleka, who travelled from Zambia to watch the game, Knights were impressive throughout the match.
Knights dominated the opening two quarters, scoring valuable points through Lucky Makonokaya, Ivor Mulenga and Francis Chongo.
Cougars upped the tempo in the third quarter and took a five-point lead, thanks to the impressive performances of Limbani Yatina and Takondwa Mengezi.
But Knights launched a late assault to win the championship in the last five minutes of the game.
Knights’ Captain Makonokaya, who was also voted as the Most Valuable Player (MVP), said they deserved the championship.
“We had self-belief that we can do something positive this year. My teammates were excellent throughout the season and team-work was key to our success,” Makonokaya said.
His Cougars’ counterpart, Takondwa Mengezi, conceded defeat.
“We have to accept the harsh reality of the game. They fought hard and they deserved it,” Mengezi said.
In the ladies’ category, Bravehearts were crowned as champions after beating Angels last week.
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