 |
| KTA and BBH meet again |
Bashana Ba Heso (BBH) and KTA All Stars
meet this afternoon in the derby of Lesotho basketball.
The two juggernauts collide at the
Lehakoe Recreational Centre with the regular season winding down and teams
jostling to secure one of the four playoffs spots in the 11-team National Basketball
League (NBL).
It would appear these two will make it, however.
KTA are second in the NBL and reigning champions BBH are third.
They are both also coming into form at
the right time. No one has won more games than KTA this season and on Friday
they demolished Leseli 80-45.
BBH, for their part, have won three
times over the past fortnight. Last week they thumped Limkokwing University
72-32, on Wednesday they smashed Khubestate 75-36 and yesterday they rolled Rovers
52-39, wins that have moved BBH back into the top four after they were briefly
displaced by Leseli.
NBL
Top 4 currently
Team
|
Record
|
|
1
2
3
4
|
Lichocha Shooting Rifles
KTA All Stars
Bashana Ba Heso
Bokamoso South
|
14-2
14-2
12-2
12-4
|
Even though upstarts Lichocha Shooting
Rifles are enjoying a fine season and have already beaten KTA, BBH and their
Khubetsoana rivals remain favourites to meet in the NBL finals as they did last
year.
The duo has dominated Lesotho basketball
over the past two years and has won every trophy available over the last 12 months.
BBH are reigning NBL champions after beating
KTA 3-2 in a thrilling finals series last May. Last July, KTA won the Memorial
Independence Tournament and then in December, BBH got the better of KTA in the
final of the Summer Slam Charity Tournament.
The two also met in the 2014 NBL finals which
KTA won.
That BBH are champions would appear to
give them a slight psychological advantage for today’s encounter. Led by
reigning NBL MVP Lejone Thakanyane, BBH also seem to have mastered a formula of
beating KTA as they are the team that has handed KTA the most losses since the
league introduced the playoffs system three years ago.
KTA has been Lesotho’s most successful club
since its formation in 2009 therefore a lot has come to be at stake when these
teams meet with the young BBH squad intent on snatching the spotlight from KTA.
KTA came out on top in the teams’ first
NBL meeting this season and KTA point guard Ratšolo Molupe said they will rely
on their balance of youth, experience, talent and size again.
“KTA is still a bit bitter that BBH has
been able to scoop two important titles, the 2014-2015 league championship and
2015 Summer Slam. So, we want this game more than ever,” Molupe said.
Today’s game is also most important to
both teams as it may determine who will earn top spot in the regular season
before the Top 4 finals playoffs.
Molupe said the winner would be in the
pound seats to top the standings.
“Both teams wish to meet the fourth seeded
team in the semi-finals of the Top 4,” Molupe said.
“The team that will be most prepared for
the game psychology and physically will dominate and win the game. That team will
most likely go all the way and claim top spot this season,” Molupe said.
The game starts at 15:00 at Lehakoe.
Today’s
NBL fixtures
Sunday, 3 April
Venue: Lehakoe
Court A
09:00 - BBH v KTA All Stars (Ladies)
11:00 - Limkokwing University v South W
(L)
13:00 - Lichocha Shooting Rifles v
Matlama (A-Division)
15:00 - KTA All Stars v BBH (A)
Court B
09:00 - Rovers v Tigers (L)
11:00 - Rovers v Bokamoso South (A)
13:00 - KTA All Stars v Bokamoso South
(L)
15:00 - Limkokwing University v Rovers
(A)
