Basketball in Africa

Debutant, First Deepwater basketball club of Nigeria Sunday defeated Kenya Ports Authority KPA by 65-50 points to finish as the seventh best women club-side in Africa.

The classification game which took place at the IRSP gymnase, Ouidah, Benin Republic saw the Kenyan picking the first two quarters by 19-11 and 12-10 points thus having a 10 points advantage of 31-21 at the break.

These seeming set-back propelled the First Deepwater players at the resumption of play in the third quarter to go all out against the KPA side contesting every ball and mounting an unending pressure on their more bigger and experience opponent which paid off as they won the quarter by 22-10 points to take a 43-41 points lead going into the last quarter which they also won by 22-09 points to finish the game at 65-50 points.

The First Deepwater basketball club charge for a seventh place in the 2009 edition of the FIBA Africa Champions Club for Women was led by Nkechi Akashili with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists and Rebecca Iritei who recorded 13 points and 2 assists.

Team head coach, Lateef Erinfolami says he is satisfied with his players' performance in the continent biggest women club competition against the background that most of them are new to the competition.

The coach however, promised a better outing in subsequent competitions.