Basketball Superstar Who Helped Kenya Break 28-year Drought

Kenyan basketball superstar Tylor Ong'wae during a past match
Kenyan basketball superstar Tylor Ong'wae during a past match
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Tylor Ongwae's buzzer shot helped Kenya beat Angola in a slim 74-73 win to seal the Morans' position in the AfroBasket 2021.

Ongwae's last-minute basket helped the team to qualify for the championships for the first time in 28 years.

Considered the 29-year-old's most important shot in his career, the instructions came from his coach Liz Mills who expressed confidence in him to take the shot. 

“I told the boys to spread the floor and put the ball in his (Ongwae’s) hands. We had faith he was going to hit that shot,” said Mills in a post-match press conference.

Kenyan basketball superstar Tylor Ong'wae taking a jump shot during a past match
Kenyan basketball superstar Tylor Ong'wae taking a jump shot during a past match
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His teammate Tom Wamukota added, “If you look at his track record, he has done it multiple times before and once you see him pace the ball and say 'everybody else get out of the way', you respect that he would do something remarkable."

Ongwae's decorated career is a testament to his skills and passion for the game which he fell in love with while at Friends School Kamusinga.

During his high school education, he became the all-time leading scorer in the school. In 2009, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the country as a junior.

He led Friends School Kamusinga to the Western Province championship for three consecutive years.

During his time at the University of Louisiana, he joined the school's basketball team and by the end of his studies, he had won a total of 10 Warhawk of the Week awards, the most in the award's history at the time.

He would leave the institution having the second-highest number of free throws in the university league with his head coach at the time, Billy Donovan, describing him as the best player in the court

Ongwae would continue shining in his professional career playing in the Swedish, New Zealand, Swiss and Danish basketball league. 

Kenyan basketball team celebrates win against Angola
Kenyan basketball team celebrates win against Angola
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