Basketball in Africa

Action at the DStv Basketball League
By Femi Solaja
The League Board/Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has awarded two points to Nigeria Customs Service Basketball Club of Lagos in its 54-58 points lose to the Lagos banker played on March 11 in Lagos.
Customs had protested the inclusion of Union Bank’s Head Coach, Ayinla Oladipupo without letter of clearance from his last professional club in the United Kingdom in Game No 11 of the DStv Premier Basketball League which the NBBF upheld.
In a statement signed by the Secretary General of NBBF, Francis Gbiri who also doubles as the league board scribe, the bio-data submitted by Union Bank on Oladipupo was not properly completed.
Union Bank was stripped of the two points from the game which it won and was re-awarded to Customs.
Meanwhile, three-time champions of the DStv Premier Basketball League, Kano Pillars yesterday handed Yelwa Hawks of Bauchi it first defeat in the 2011/2012 season of the Nigeria top flight league with a 96-67 points win at the sports hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium Kano.
The loss by Yelwa Hawks now makes Pillars the only team yet to taste defeat in the Savannah conference of the league.
Niger Potters of Minna also posted a 15 points margin victory of 78-63 points win over Bauchi Nets in Minna while Kada Stars of Kaduna put smiles on the faces of their fans with a 79-53 points win over Tapgun Rockets of Jos at the Murtala Mohammed Square Kaduna. Nigeria Immigration walked-over Civil Defenders of Abuja.
In the Atlantic conference defending champion, Royal Hoopers of Port Harcourt got back to winning ways with a 67-57 points win over Islanders of Lagos at the Civic Centre in Port Harcourt.
The win for the defending champion was to reassure its fans that it is determined to defend the league title it won last season after it’s week-6 79-81 points’ home loss to Dodan Warriors of Lagos.
Customs went past Comets in Lagos by 68-58 points; Union Bank had the better of Chariots by 77-60 points while Dodan Warriors survived Police Baton in a keenly contested week-7 pairing by 76-70 points.