Kenyans Martin Okaka and Steve Olweny combined for 48 points to give holders Conrad Dubai a stunning start to their title defence with a 62-47 win over Sofitel The Palm Dubai in the inter-hotel division of the CMP Sports Basketball League at the Jumeira Baccalaureate School.
Both players had a double-double performance: Okaka led all players with 31 points, 15 rebounds and made five slam dunks while Olweny finished with 17 markers and 12 boards.
Conrad Dubai’s strong finish, however, had a lacklustre start.
With only seven players suiting up for the game, the defending champions trailed Sofitel 18-14 at the end of the first quarter and were still down by four, 30-26, at the half. They missed the services of point guard JC Morales while Okaka, who played for the first time for Conrad, was still adjusting with his game in the first half.
But Conrad found their rhythm after the break and Okaka used his huge 6’8” frame to become a tough defensive presence inside the shaded lane, limiting the offensive options for Sofitel Dubai.
Conrad Dubai then established a commanding spread at the end of the third period, 46-35, and just maintained their dominance in the final quarter.
"We struggled a bit on offence at the start,” Conrad Dubai coach Brandon Ross told Sport360. “We also missed our playmaker (Morales) and one of our key shooters, Victor Chalfoun, who moved to South Africa.”
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“But we found a good rhythm in the second half and both Okaka and Olweny led the team to victory. It’s an absolute character win for us, as we are sending a strong statement that we are ready to defend our title,” Ross added.
Sofitel’s player-coach Karl Ladera said they had a hard time containing the Kenyans. “They’re tall and quick and they also defended well,” he said.
Reggie Diolazo led Sofitel with 20 points while no other player scored in double digits for the hoteliers at the Palm Jumeirah.
Elsewhere, veteran player Alwyn Flores led Deira Knights to a tough 76-74 win over Pippa Blue in the Above-40 category of the tournament. Manlapig and Erwin Piasan added 18 and 11 markers respectively to give Knights their second win in three games.
Scores:
Conrad Dubai 62 – Martin Okaka 31; Steve Olweny 17; Billy Ondiek 4; Rommel Buna 4; Philipp Villanueva 3; Mark Felebrico 2; Cedric Calusin 1
Sofitel The Palm Dubai 47 – Reggie Diolazo 20; Wilbert Belgica 5; Nick Jabido 4; Penda Kunal 4; Karl Ladera 4; Michael Banzuela 3; Paul Ado 3; Macapagal 2; John Magtangob 2
