Basketball in Africa

Four teams have finally confirmed their places in the play offs stages of the Vmobile Premier Basketball league from the Atlantic Conference as the regular season matches rounded off Sunday at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Union Bank Club, which won the Vmobile Challenge last year, maintained the winners’ position as they lead other teams from the zone into the play offs. The Bankers on Sunday defeated Lagos Islanders 67-64 to stamp their authority on the Atlantic Conference while confirming their place in the elite place. The other teams in the line up for the play off are Ebun Comets, Dodan Warriors and Lagos Islanders.
Customs and Delta Force lost out in the race into the plays season. Delta defeated Customs 59-54 on Friday in their last game of the season but the victory was not enough to see them through. Delta won just three games while the Customs got two to finish at the bottom of the table. The Islanders also won three matches but scaled through on the account of superior head-to-head position over Delta and the Customs.
The following day the Comets and Dodan Warriors played a thriller that finished in over time. The Comets eventually won the game 87-84 in over time. The Warriors were up by nearly 10 points with less than a minute to the end of the game by a technical approach to the last minute from the Comet bench turned the tide. Fans were really thrilled by the play of the two teams.
The matches of the Savannah Conference will continue until Thursday when the final four teams for the play offs will be determined. Kano Pillars, Niger Potters, Bauchi Nets, Yelwa Hawks and Plateau Peaks are in the front run for the four slots that will lead to the first stage of the play off in Kaduna.