NGR - AHIP ends season draught beat Peaks

LAGOS (Vmobile PBL) - Savannah conference premier league debutant, AHIP Giant basketball club of Kano last weekend ended its season draught with a 65-63 points win over Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos.

The week-nine encounter played at the Sports Hall of the Kano Stadium produced a leeway for the youthful Kano team to record its very first win in the league.

In the Atlantic conference Customs basketball club rose above board to snatched victory at the jaw of former champion, Islanders basketball club for its second win of the season.

Islanders coached by Toyin Sonoiki looked good to run away with a win until few minutes to the end of the fourth quarter when the combination of Lucky Abubakar, Benjamin Nims, Dare Borokini and youthful point guard Daniel Dawodu rose to the challenge of the day to rattle the Islanders for a 69-61 points win.

Though the lose did not have an adverse effect on the final-4 qualification ambition of the Islanders as Dodan Warriors basketball club hit Delta Force basketball club of Asaba 83-71 which means Islanders became the fourth team to make the Atlantic conference playoffs billed for next month in Lagos.

And it was Union Bank basketball club all the way as it had the better of Ebun Comets basketball club in a thrilling encounter that kept the fans asking for more action.

Having booked a playoff ticket both sides decided to play for pride and the best the game could offer as they match each other strength for strength with the Stallion boys that parades the likes of Ejike Ugboaja, Edem Ekpeyong who was later voted Man-of-The-Match, Sola Alayande against Comets inspirational captain Baba Jibril, Denis Ebikoro, Okechukwu Anonye and youthful point guards Michael Ohiero and Oseer Ikyaator.

The four quarters was shared evenly with Union Bank going up in the first two of 19-10 and 16-11 while Comets won the challenge of the last two quarters of 24-18 and 28-24 for a cumulative result of 77-73.

By Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Correspondent in Nigeria