Equity Bank in talks with the team head coach Joseph Lubarov / HANDOUTEquity Dumas coach Joseph Lubarov believes his side has enough quality to overcome Umoja in Friday’s decisive Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Premier League quarter-final at Nyayo Gymnasium.
The best-of-three series is tied 1-1 after Dumas won Game One 68-50 before Umoja responded with a 62-58 victory in Game Two. Lubarov challenged his players to turn that advantage into a complete performance when the two teams meet.
The best-of-three series is tied 1-1 after the teams traded contrasting victories, leaving Dumas needing to rediscover the offensive fluency and energy that powered them to a 68-50 victory in Game One.
Umoja responded in Game Two with a 62-58 win, riding a dominant 25-10 second quarter and a stronger performance. Umoja won the rebounding battle 58-53, with Agulet Malek grabbing 13 rebounds and Thomas Mutiso 15.
Victor Bosire led the scoring with 18 points, while Bienfait added 15. For Lubarov, however, those numbers highlight the areas Dumas must improve rather than undermine his belief in the team.
“I believe we have better individuals, and if we can combine the kind of offence we played in Game One with the kind of offence we displayed against them during the regular season, we can put everything together and produce a good game,” said Lubarov.
Dumas finished third in the regular-season standings with 35 points from 22 matches, posting a 13-9 record, while Umoja were sixth on 33 points after an 11-11 campaign. The narrow difference between the two sides has been reflected in a closely fought playoff series that has become a test of adjustments, discipline and execution.
Lubarov is now demanding a collective response after Umoja demonstrated in Game Two that Dumas cannot rely solely on individual ability. “I believe we are capable of winning. We have to give credit to Umoja for playing well with their backs against the wall, but after a few practices this week, we’ll be able to regroup, find a way to work together and come out with good energy,” he said.
Dumas are seeking a return to the semi-finals after missing out on the last four last season. Their Game One victory had put them within one win of progression, but Umoja’s response has left the quarter-final delicately poised. The winner will face either Kenya Ports Authority or Strathmore Blades in the semi-finals.
KPA led that series 1-0 after a 77-61 victory over Strathmore and will host the remaining games at Makande Gymnasium in Mombasa. The other semi-final is already confirmed, with defending champions Nairobi City Thunder facing Stanbic Shields. Thunder swept Kisumu Lakeside 2-0, winning 97-54 and 87-44, while Shields also completed a 2-0 sweep of Ulinzi Warriors.
With two semi-finalists already confirmed, Dumas and Umoja now face a winner-takes-all battle for the final place in the last four. Lubarov believes the formula is straightforward: reproduce the attacking quality they showed in Game One, match Umoja’s physicality and generate enough collective energy to make their individual quality count. Friday’s winner will not only survive the quarter-final battle but also secure a place among the league’s final four.
