TH3 Swish Basketball have reached the National Women's Basketball Premier League semifinals for the first time after edging Strathmore Swords 2-1 in a tense quarterfinal playoff series.
Swish lost Game One 80-78, then responded with a 49-27 victory in Game Two before holding on for a 47-46 win in Game Three over the weekend. The result extends the club's first-ever playoff appearance into uncharted territory.
Head coach Ariel Okal credited defensive discipline for the breakthrough, saying the team trusted its schemes from Game One through Game Three. He acknowledged the youth of his squad contributed to the tight finishes but said mistakes were part of the learning process.
"This is huge for us because this is the first time Swish Basketball has won a game in a playoff series," Okal said. "It is also the first time we have reached the playoff semifinals."
Swish now face defending champions Kenya Ports Authority in a best-of-five semifinal, starting at 6pm on Wednesday at Nyayo Gymnasium in Nairobi. In the other bracket, Equity Hawks meet Stanbic Aces in an all-bankers semifinal at 8pm at the same venue.
