12th July, 2010
Matches were played in both the Atlantic and Savannah Conference last weekend when the league resumed after a week’s break for the All Stars match in Kaduna.
At the Atlantic Conference, Ebun Comets Basketball Club on Friday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria, confirmed their superiority over the Police Baton Basketball Club of Lagos with a 79-67 points victory, making it 2-0 record in favour of the Coach Ayo Bakare tutored young Comets side.
The week-31 pairing that was beamed live on SuperSports Select by the title sponsors, DSTV/MultiChoice saw the Comets winning the first three quarters 24-23, 13-11 and 23-13 points to move up to the fourth position of the conference, while the Police Baton who began the game on a good note won the fourth quarter by 22-19 points.
Comets co-captain Yomi Joshua led the floor with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists; Jacob Ogenyi added a double effort of 13 points and 11 rebounds; shooting guard Obum Onyia contributed 17 points and 5 rebounds; Benjamin Nims scored 12 points and 9 rebounds, while Nigeria’s U16 national team point guard, Peter Odia, added 12 points to give their side victory.
In the match between Union Bank Basketball Club of Lagos and Dodan Warriors Basketball Club of Lagos, which took place at the same venue, Stallion Boys, as the bankers are know brightened their chance of making the final-8 playoffs cut with a 87-79 points victory over the Col. Sam Ahemdu side after over-time on Saturday.
Warriors had led in the first three quarters of the games, 21-20; 18-11 and 22-20 to move into the last quarter with a nine-point advantage of 60-51 points, only to surrender to the Stallion Boys in the fourth and decisive quarter by 18-09 points to force an over-time after scores stood at 69 points apiece.
Union Bank, coached by its former Team Manager, Rotimi Savage stood its ground in the over-time winning by 18-10 points to run away with a 87-79 points win thus confirming its superiority over the Coach Adeka Daudu tutored Warriors.
Union Bank combo-guard and former captain, Seyi Ayodele was in superb form netting a total of 21 points, skipper of the side and Nigeria Senior National Team player, Azuoma Dike recorded 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists while the duo of Abba Usman and Peter Okojie added 13 and 12 points each with centre, Godspower Igben grabbing 10 rebounds for the bankers victory.
In the Savannah Conference, Kada Stars Basketball Club of Kaduna’s hope of qualifying for its second consecutive play-off received a big boost on Saturday when the Coach Sani Turi tutored side defeated visiting Yelwa Hawks Basketball Club of Bauchi by 73-68 points.
The visitors, who raced to a first half lead of (14-12 and 20-16) were humbled in the third and fourth quarters by the home team, forcing them down by 26-16 and 19-18 points loss, for a cumulative score-line of 73-68 points.
Kada Stars forward, Yusuf Oyaifo Yakubu who recorded a double double figure of 13 rebounds, 10 points, 3 assists and 2 steals, says his side is committed to making it to Port Harcourt for the play-offs.
“I’m happy we won today (Saturday) which is good for our play-offs ambition, but I must give credit to the Yelwa players who were not ready to go down easily. They are a solid side but the good thing is that we won, said the Kada Stars forward.
In Kano it was defending champion, Kano Pillars Basketball Club of Kano, all the way as they spanked city mate, AHIP Giants Basketball Club by a whopping 40 points difference of 89-49 points.
Pillars back-line anchored by Abubakar Usman proved a hard nut for the AHIP Giants side to crack as they turned the week-32 Savannah conference pairing to a one-sided game. The win took their record to 7-1 while Niger Potters Basketball Club defeated Bauchi Nets Basketball Club by 48-39 points in a lacklustre game in Minna.