Seabata Mahao
Excitement is brewing as Khubetsoana All Stars (KTA) and Simply Talent (ST) gear up for a showdown in the best-of-five playoff final match of the Major League Basketball (MLB) season.
The winner of this face-off will claim the coveted title of ‘champ of champs’ for the 2022/23 season.
The playoff tournament, held under the banner of the Lesotho Basketball Association (LBA), features the top four teams that dominated the MLB season.
The path to the final was determined by the recent semi-final games.
KTA secured their spot by defeating Shooting Riffles (SR) with a 2-1 score, while ST showcased their prowess by triumphing over Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) with the same scoreline.
In an interview with Newsday Sports, Samuel Motsamai, spokesperson for the LBA, described the semi-final match between KTA and SR as a highly tactical encounter that stood out from the earlier games in the series.
Motsamai detailed how SR’s “run and gun†style initially posed a challenge for KTA in the first half, leading to a 12-point deficit.
However, KTA’s adjustments in defensive strategies and match-ups in the second half shifted the game’s dynamics.
He elaborated: “KTA had defensive answers to SR’s offense while holding SR to three buckets in the 10 minutes of play and outscoring them by 12 points to tie the game at 38 points apiece.â€
Switching to a faster and more offensive play style enabled KTA to counter SR’s rapid offense, leveling the playing field. Motsamai noted the significance of Nqosa Lehloenya’s offensive contributions, which concluded the game with an impressive 33 points.
The 2022/2023 MLB championship was claimed by LUCT, with KTA securing second place, followed by SR and ST. The MLB season also featured other notable clubs such as Lerotholi Polytechnic, Lesotho College of Education, and Razzmatazz.
