06 June 2006
NIGERIA : Union Bank, D’Warriors Win
The weekend matches of the Vmobile Premier Basketball finished to a thrill with all three matches in Lagos living up to their ratings. Victories for Union Bank and Dodan Warriors means that they are leading the Atlantic Conference teams into the play-off with just one game left in the regular season. Union Bank defeated Ebun Comets 77-73 on Saturday while Dodan Warriors defeated Delta Force 83-71 the following day. Both matches kept the Sports Hall of the National Stadium electrified. Before those games, Customs handed Lagos Islanders 69-61 defeated in what was the second win in as many nine games.
On Saturday fans entered the hall with open mind, as it was quite difficult predicting the winner of that game following the pattern most games have followed in the Atlantic Conference this season. The game was truly predictable as the Union Bank team won the first two quarters while the Comets took control of the last two. What separated the two teams was the fact that Comets took control very late and even as they charged back the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the night Edem Ekpeyong of Union Bank produced a series of hook shots off quality back door drives. But whatever the result both teams are already through to the play off stage with Union Bank topping the conference.
The Warriors, Delta Force match was a carryover of their last game in Asaba, which was abandoned but awarded to Dodan Warriors on technical grounds. On Sunday they started out on near equal note and played in that style until the last quarter before the Warriors took control and won the game by 12points.
“Delta Force played well and I have come to believe that if they stay together this season, they could give many teams trouble. I had actually underrated them but they have proved otherwise with their outings,” an analyst told THISDAY after the game.
But even though Warriors won the match, Kingsley Agwara of Delta Force set a regular season record with 37 points in the game but the awesome high score could not save his team from defeat. No other player has scored that high in Atlantic Conference.
With the result, Dodan Warriors are running steady at the second position with one game to go. They were tied with Comets until they walked out on their game in Asaba and have now followed by a defeat in the hands of Union Bank. Delta Force are yet to get a place in the play off and will most likely not qualify for that next level.
On Saturday fans entered the hall with open mind, as it was quite difficult predicting the winner of that game following the pattern most games have followed in the Atlantic Conference this season. The game was truly predictable as the Union Bank team won the first two quarters while the Comets took control of the last two. What separated the two teams was the fact that Comets took control very late and even as they charged back the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the night Edem Ekpeyong of Union Bank produced a series of hook shots off quality back door drives. But whatever the result both teams are already through to the play off stage with Union Bank topping the conference.
The Warriors, Delta Force match was a carryover of their last game in Asaba, which was abandoned but awarded to Dodan Warriors on technical grounds. On Sunday they started out on near equal note and played in that style until the last quarter before the Warriors took control and won the game by 12points.
“Delta Force played well and I have come to believe that if they stay together this season, they could give many teams trouble. I had actually underrated them but they have proved otherwise with their outings,” an analyst told THISDAY after the game.
But even though Warriors won the match, Kingsley Agwara of Delta Force set a regular season record with 37 points in the game but the awesome high score could not save his team from defeat. No other player has scored that high in Atlantic Conference.
With the result, Dodan Warriors are running steady at the second position with one game to go. They were tied with Comets until they walked out on their game in Asaba and have now followed by a defeat in the hands of Union Bank. Delta Force are yet to get a place in the play off and will most likely not qualify for that next level.
# posted by afrbk : 15:53
