Basketball in Africa

Reigning FIBA Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 champions, Mark Mentors Basketball Club of Abuja, yesterday afternoon sealed a semi-final ticket of the ongoing 2015 DStv Premier Basketball League Final-8 Playoffs.
The Mentors did that in grand style with a 65-52 points win over Nigeria Customs Service Basketball Club of Lagos to make it three win from three Group A games played to lead the pairing.
The coach Peter Ahmedu-tutored side had earlier defeated Atlantic Conference champion by 78-68 points on Monday and earned a hard fought victory over fellow Savannah Conference side, Gombe Bulls Basketball Club by 63-61 points on Tuesday.
Though Customs outsmarted Mentors on the board with 42-39 rebounds but the Igoche Mark-inspired side were the better side with 14-11 assist, five to four steal and recorded lesser turn-over with 18-25.
Mark Mentors captain and D'Tigers shooting guard, Stanley Gumut, led his side with 19 points and 8 rebounds while small forward, Abdulwahab Yahaya, added 11 points and 3 rebounds to lead side to her second straight semi-final berth.
Mentors recorded the biggest lead of 20-6 points' midway into the second quarter after giving away the first quarter by 14-15 points.
The Mentors put behind it the slim first quarter loss to the Scott Nnaji coached Customs to outwit the their opponent with 12-9 points win in the second quarter for half-time score of 26-24 points, the Abuja-based side who narrowly lost the league title to reigning champion Kano Pillars in 2014 opened up the game in the third quarter winning by 25-14 points to take a 51-38 points lead into the final quarter which both sides shared evenly at 14 points apiece.
Mentors head coach, Ahmedu told our correspondent shortly after the game against Customs that only the league title is good for them this year while not underrating whoever emerge as their semi-final opponent.
"We are grateful to the team management especially our Chairman, Igoche Mark, who ensured that areas we were facing challenges were sorted out before our departure for Lagos and the only way we can reciprocate the huge gesture is to go back to Abuja with the trophy and a place in the continent," declared Coach Ahmedu.