LAGOS (Nigeria) - The Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM) made it a double over the Nigeria Customs to emerge as national champions of the 2024 Zenith Bank Women's Basketball League.
The victory guarantees the Lagos-based side a place in the inaugural Women's Basketball League Africa Qualifiers 2024 billed for Monrovia, Liberia October 29-November 4, 2024.
In the final of the 2024 edition, MFM, like in 2023, prevailed over the Customs in a game that ended 64-53 to lift the giant championship trophy.
In what seemed like payback time, the MFM team that got eliminated at the Zonal Qualifiers held in Abuja by Customs was led by former national assistant coach Ochuko Owolabi on the bench and made no mistake from the start of the game ensuring that they opened a wide margin of 18-6 in the first quarter.
The second quarter was no different as MFM piled the pressure effectively cutting off transitions of Customs forward Nkem Akariwe and went to halftime with the score at 36-17 heading into the halftime.
The start of the second half saw a rejuvenated Customs side coached by Abdulrahman Mohammed and a spirited comeback that saw them reduce the 19-point deficit to 12 courtesy of offensives and the stellar efforts from Akariwe with the score at 59-39 at the end of the third quarter.
However, the MFM bench did not relent and remained focused to end the game at 64-53. By this victory, the MFM will head to Monrovia, Liberia, as champions of Nigeria alongside the Nigeria Customs team.
Hembam Marvis Wandoo of MFM was adjudged the highest scorer and voted MVP to lead the top 5, which comprised Pius Beggi Idubamo (MFM), Regina Iornumbe (First Bank, Tobi Ogedengbe (Royal Aces) and Nkem Akariwe (Nigeria Customs), who was named the best in block shots.
An elated Coach Ochuko Owolabi expressed joy and satisfaction with her players' performance and noted that work starts immediately for the task ahead in the Zonal qualifiers.
"It was an exciting final and we knew what to expect of the Customs team. They were able to have an advantage over us in Abuja because of the players that joined them. MFM knows how to handle them and we're happy we won the national title over them a second time in a row," she told FIBA.basketall after the game.
Meanwhile, 9-time winners of the league, First Bank Elephant Girls struggled in the third-place match against newcomers Royal Aces, coming from behind to defeat the surprise team of the competition with just a point with the game ending 46-45.
The winners MFM went home with prize money of N1,750m while Customs and First Bank received N750,000 and N250,000 respectively for their efforts.
Nigeria Basketball Federation, President, Ahmadu Musa Kida congratulated both teams for their efforts in reaching the final and getting themselves places for the Zonal qualifiers.
"The federation is excited to the best teams in the final but it doesn't end there because so much is expected of the two teams as they have qualified for the Women's Basketball League Africa Qualifiers 2024 in Liberia. We wish them the best in the campaign.
FIBA