Basketball in Africa

Port Harcourt-based high riding Atlantic conference side, Royal Hoopers basketball club will this weekend takes it luck to the seat of the conference, Lagos for a double confrontation against Dodan Warriors basketball club and Police Baton basketball club at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium.

Hoopers coached by former Nigeria international point guard, Ogoh Odaudu must be at its best to survive the double onslaught in Lagos as Dodan Warriors basketball club its first opponent on Saturday is without a win in the three week old league.

Like its Sunday opponent, Police Baton basketball club of Lagos, Royal Hoopers basketball club who finished fourth in its first year in the Nigeria flagship competition has yet to taste defeat picking a valuable week-one win against Delta Force in Asaba before beating Nigeria Customs basketball club of Lagos at home last weekend.

Royal Hoopers Head Coach, Odaudu who dumped Lagos Islanders whom he guided to a second place finish last season for the oil rich Port Harcourt side is confident his side would come out victorious in both road games on Saturday and Sunday.

His Police Baton counterpart, Mark Balogun – A Superintendent of Police told our correspondent that Royal Hoopers would not escape defeat on Sunday.
“We are optimistic of picking that game against Royal Hoopers so as to continue to guarantee our stading on the conference standing.
“Though we are yet to see them) Royal Hoopers) play this season but we’ve heard a lot about them and we are set for the task, Coach Balogun concluded.

Other games billed for the Atlantic conference will see Nigeria Customs basketball club take on union Bank basketball club in a local derby at the national stadium on Friday, Lagos while Islanders travel to Asaba to keep a date with Delta Force basketball club on Saturday.

In the Savannah conference, Plateau Peaks basketball club and its city rival Tapgun Rockets basketball club will entertain fans at the sports hall of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, kaduna on Saturday; AHIP Giants basketball club of Kano will be at home to visiting Bauchi Net basketball club who will be in Kano for a double battle against the two Kano-based sides, AHIP Giants and defending champion, kano Pillars basketball clubs on Saturday and Sunday at the sports hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofa-mata, Kano, Niger Potters basketball club of Minna will relieve the sad experience of last weekend when it lost to Plateau Peaks in Kaduna to confront visiting Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi.

Start off time for all this weekend games have been fixed for 16H00 in all the venues across the country.

Week-1 results:

Atlantic Conference:
Dodan Warriors 76-77 Union Bank
Police Baton 65-54 Lagos Islanders
Delta Force 67-72 Roral Hoopers
Ebun Comets 73-54 Nigeria Customs

Savannah Conference:

Yelwa Hawks 48-53 Kada Stars
Kano Pillars 73-52 AHIP Giants
Niger Potters 98-57 Tapgun Rockets
Bauchi Net 48-39 Kada Stars

Week-2 Results

Atlantic Conference:

Police Baton 77-68 Delta Force
Ebun Comets 69-71 Delta Force
Lagos Islanders 61-49 Dodan Warriors
Royal Hoopers 71-43 Nigeria Customs

Savannah Conference:

Kada Stars 84-80 Kano Pillar
Bauchi Net 65-55 Yelwa Hawks
Plateau Peaks 82-64 Niger Potters
Tapgun Rockets 46-76 Kano Pillars

Week-3 Games

Atlantic Conference:

Nigeria Customs Vs Union Bank – Lagos 21/05 16H00
Dodan Warriors Vs Royal Hoopers – Lagos 22/05 16H00
Delta Force Vs Lagos Islanders – Asaba 22/05 16H00
Police Baton Vs Royal Hoopers – Lagos 23/05 16H00

Savannah Conference:

Plateau Peaks Vs Tapgun Rockets – Kaduna 22/05 16H00
AHIP Giants Vs Bauchi Net – Kano 22/05 16H00
Niger Potters Vs Yelwa Hawks – Minna 22/05 16H00
Kano Pillars Vs Bauchi Net – Kano 23/05 16H00

By: Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Africa