*The Rivers state team finished 2nd, proceeds to national playoffs. Rivers Hoopers rounded up their Atlantic Conference Play-off campaign by spanking Delta Force 67-55 on Saturday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos. Victor James scored 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals while Oba Orinari added 11 points, 5 rebounds and […]
via Rivers Hoopers Outclass Delta Force In Last Atlantic Conference Playoff Game — newfanzoneblog
Head Coach of Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt, hosts of the 2015 edition of the National Men Division 1 Basketball League, Ogoh Odaudu has berated his players after their Day 2 clash with Raptors of Lagos which they won 72 – 43 on Sunday. On the opening day, Hoopers fired a warning to other competitors with the highest score line so far in the league with a 115 – 43 points win over Osun Lions but failed to replicate same on their second game against the Lagos team thereby giving the coach serious concern about their ambition to host and win the tournament which qualifies two teams, one each from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences to the DSTV League.
Hoopers’ Alalibo helped his team to victory contributing 12 points while Alamina and Orinan had 10 points each to beat the hard fighting Raptors who ensured the hosts struggled all through the game denying them the opportunity to humiliate them like they did to the Osun Lions. First quarter ended 21 – 6 in favour of Hoopers, while Raptors won the second and third quarters 17-15 and 16-15 before the hosts rallied to win convincingly 21-4 points in the last quarter.
Reacting to the performance of his team after the game, Odaudu described it as highly disappointing warning that except Hoopers improve in subsequent games, they risk the chance of picking the sole ticket at stake from the conference especially that there are teams like the Comets also eyeing qualification to the elite league from the Atlantic Conference. “I am not impressed at all with our play against Raptors especially after starting the tournament well and scoring 115 points in our opening game. The team did not play well at all and had to struggle all through the game. They never played to instruction and were busy doing something else in the court. I told them specifically to relax, get their balls and shoot but they were busy rushing and hasty. The truth is that we have to review our chances by improving if we want to qualify to play in the DSTV League because if they continue like this it will be difficult.”
Hoopers clash with Police Bombers Monday and will have their biggest test on Thursday when they meet their biggest threat from the Conference, Comets of Lagos coached by former D’ Tigers and national team coach Ayo Bakare in a clash that most likely will determine the leader of Atlantic Conference. Incidentally, Hoopers coach, Ogoh Odaudu was an assistant to Ayo Bakare in the 2013 edition of Afrobasket held in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire.
The annual DStv Basketball All Star Weekend will take place this Saturday, 23 May 2015 at the indoor sports hall, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. As is the practice, basketball lovers across the country and DStv subscribers will be treated to an exciting blend of live basketball games.
Speaking on the upcoming basketball all-star weekend, Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria said that the decision to hold an All Star Weekend was to mark the mid-point of the basketball season, and also to encourage the growth of the game among Nigerian youth; “It is a way of celebrating the mid-point of a tournament, and re-energizing for the forthcoming games. The game this year will be better and bigger last year’s event” Mabutho said.
Last year’s All Star Weekend Jump off was won by the Savannah team. This year’s All Star Weekend will kick off with DStv All Stars vs. Nigeria Basketball Legends All Stars and will feature notable players from both the Atlantic and Savannah conferences. Benjamin Uzoh, Jason Ebie, Tunji Awojobi and others will represent team Atlantic, while Usman Abubakar, Stanley Gumut, Abdul Yahaya to mention a few will play on behalf of the Savannah teams.
Mr. Mabutho highlighted that one of their major focus is sports development. “We know that basketball is a lifestyle sport, which is highly entertaining. It is that excitement that we want to bring to Nigeria. We want basketball to be associated with fun, excitement and family time” he said.
The President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), Mr. Umar Tijani while commending MultiChoice Nigeria for the sponsorship and support MultiChoice has given to the Basketball Federation over the years, urged lovers of the game to come out enmass to watch the thrills of the all-star weekend as fans will be excited to watch the 3 point shooting contest finals, slam dunk contest finals and many other side attractions.
Spectators are invited to come and watch the game live as no gate fee is required. The game which will be aired live on SuperSport 7 on DStv will also go live on SuperSport Select 2 on GOtv from 3:00pm.
MultiChoice Nigeria is the headline sponsor of the DStv Premier Basketball League. Sponsorship of basketball by MultiChoice, also involves live coverage of league games by SuperSport, throughout the tournament.
Like is done all over the world at the mid point of the basketball season, the DSTV Premier Basketball League will welcome it’s annual Allstar game on Friday 22, May 2015 at the home of Nigerian Basketball, the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos amongst pomp and pageantry with Celebrities, past and present basketball stars, and fans and lovers of basketball.
All eyes will be on former national team captain and Boston University, Hall of famer, Tunji Awojobi who will lead Lagos Islanders team mates Jason Ebie, Ben Uzoh and the Dodan Warriors duo of Benenoir import Romaric Quenum and Ameh Ejeh in the Atlantic Conference All star team as they battle their Savannah Conference counterparts lead by Abubakar Usman in the 2015 DStv Premier Basketball League All Star Game.
Supporting the Atlantic conference starting 5 are Emmanuel Dayo (Oluyole Warriors), Emmanuel Balogun (Customs), Malik Tella (Police Baton), Solomon Ajegbeyi (Union Bank), Umar Garba (Dodan Warriors) and Mojuba Oyeleye (Oluyole Warriors). Who will be coached by the duo of Lagos Islanders head coach Lateef Erinfolami and Oluyole Warriors Taye Sobogun while Mr Deji Jaiyeola and Agboola Pinheiro were selected as Team manager and Coordinator respectively.
The Savannah conference All stars on the other hand will be lead by 2014 All star most valuable player Abubakar Usman(Kano Pillars) teammate Matthew Onmenya and the Mark Mentors trio of Stanley Gumut ,Abdul Yahaya and Victor ‘KOKO’ Anthony. with Azuoma Dike ( Mark Mentors), Femi Emmanuel (Plateau Peaks), Eli Abraham (Gombe Bulls), Menasseh Achi (Gombe Bulls) and the Kano Pillars trio of Ibrahim Yusuf, Abdulwahab Yahaya and Dele Ademola also making the All Star team.
The team would lead by Mark Mentors Head coach, Peter Ahmedu assisted by Gombe Bulls Mohammed Abdulrahman while Mr. Garba Lawal and Ajibarede Bello will act as Team manager and coordinator respectively.
3point Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest make a return….
The All Star weekend is never complete without the Slam Dunk contest and the 3 points shootout challenge. And surely we will be treated to the spectacle of dunks from the best of the best DSTV Premier basketball league high flyers . Expected to compete for the best dunker in the league are Yahaya Abdul ( Mark Mentors), William Ndoumbe ( Lagos Islanders), Menasseh Achi (Gombe Bulls), Dele Ademola (Kano Pillars), Mojuba Oyeleye (Oluyole Warriors) and Usman Musa (Mark Mentors).
As we also look forward to the fight for the bragging rights as the best long range shooter in Nigeria, the finest 3 pointer shooters in the league come face to face. Topping the list is 2013, 3 points shooting contest champion former Kada Star shooting guard Timothy Kwaor ( Mark Mentors), Azuoma Dike ( Mark Mentors), Abdulwahab Yakubu (Kano Pillars), Stanley Gumut (Mark Mentors) Dayo Emmanuel (Oluyole Warriors) and Sola Alayande (Lagos Islanders). Others are rookie Stanley Eze (Union Bank), Emmanuel Balogun (Customs) and Jason Ebie (Lagos Islanders).
The veterans and celebrities in the house will also not be left out as they slug it out in the Dstv Premier Basketball League skills challenge. There will also be an exhibition game between Day Waterman College and Avicenna schools as the curtain raiser while the host of the event will be multi award winning entertainer and part owner of Lagos Islanders, Sound Sultan alongside Jimmie of Beat fm.
Oluwafemi Adefeso
2015 DStv Premier Basketball League Results
Atlantic Conference
Oluyole Warriors 62-86 Lagos Islanders
Customs 54-50 Kwara Falcons
Police Baton 52-68 Union Bank
Dodan Warriors 52-42 Delta Force.
Savannah Conference
Kano Pillars 80-48 Plateau Peaks
Kada Stars 53-49 Immigration
Bauchi Nets 61-85 Gombe Bulls
Mark Mentors 89-58 FCT Rocks
DStv Premier Basketball League
ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
Kwara Falcons 58-61 Union Bank
Oluyole Warriors 69-53 Delta Force
Lagos Islanders 69-56 Police Baton
Customs 73-72 D.Warriors
SAVANNAH CONFERENCE
Kano Pillars 94-48 Bauchi Nets
Kada Stars 48-83 Mark Mentors
Plateau Peaks 90-62 FCT Rocks
Immigration 40-47 Gombe Bulls
Wk 2 Results DStv Premier Basketball League
Atlantic Conference
Oluyole Warriors 78-70 Kwara Falcons
Union Bank 54-59 Lagos Islanders
Customs 60-55 Delta Force
Dodan Warriors 61-42 Police Batons
Savannah Conference
Bauchi Nets 45-77 M.Mentors
Kano Pillars 70-64 Gombe Bulls
Peaks 60-52 Immigration
Kada Stars vs FCT Rocks Postponed. (Force Majeure)
Yesterday witnessed the 5th day of action at the National Division One championship in Abuja. The Dashion Mambas took on the NSCDC defenders in the opening game of the day but fell to might of the Civil Defenders 77-85 points. In the other fixtures of the day, the Osun State Lions narrowly peeped Delta Force by one point 84-83, just as Raptors beat TJoba by one point 57-56.
The Benue Braves quenched the APA flames 65-55, as the FCT Rocks were too strong for the Kano Pyramids and the Hoop and Read basketball club broke down the Base Hawks 60-51.
Today will witness the final round of matches in the league as TJoba take on Delta Force, Hoops and Read face city rivals Raptors of Lagos while the Base Hawks take on the Osun State Lions in the Atlantic conference Division.
In the Savannah conference APA flames face off against the highscoring Kano Pyramids, NSCDC defenders tackle the Benue Braves and the Dashion Mambas try to climb the FCT Rocks as the top teams from both conferences will on Saturday 8th, November battle for the National Division One title.
The two finalist will qualify for Nigeria’s top tier Basketball league, the DSTV Premier Basketball league next season.
The president of the Nigerian Basketball federation Mr Tijjani Umar on Saturday at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium said umpire Tunde Popoola got the decision to cancel the final basket scored by Mark Mentors basketball club of Abuja right at the Final Match of the DSTV Premier Basketball League Final 8, After he and the chairman of Mark Mentors club Mark Igoche came out of the OB van of TV right owners SuperSport to review the dying seconds of the epic final match.
“From the replay it was clear that Musa Usman still had possession of the ball as time expired. The referee dully indicated that, and from the video footage I and the Mark Mentors chairman saw, the referee got the decision spot on”.
Controversy struck at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium in Lagos when referee Tunde Popoola cancelled Mark Mentors guard, Musa Usman’s basket at the end of the game on Saturday. Mark Mentors who lead all through the game, lead by 4 points with 21 seconds of the game to spare.
However there was a dramatic twist of fortune when Pillars took the lead by one, 89-88 points with 5 seconds left on the game clock courtesy a 3 points shot from Abubakar Usman after team mate Adeolu Olaiya’s dunk reduced the deficit to 2 points earlier.
With the championship title still at stake, Mark Mentors pushed to score within the 5 seconds left. They did score, but it was a tale of too little too late. As time expired before they could get the ball in the basket.
Kano Pillars successful defended the title they won last season and match winner Abubakar Usman going home with his 2nd consecutive Most Valuable Player of the Final 8 award.
Nda’ Abu as he is popularly called also won the highest scorer award having ended the tournament as the leading scorer with 138 points in 5 matches. While Mark Mentors Forward Abdul Yahaya went home with the highest rebounder award.
Classification Games Results (Today)
Union Bank 66-72 Oluyole Warriors OT
Islanders 74-70 Plateau Peaks
Tomorrow’s Fixtures (Friday 18th July, 2014)
CLASSIFICATION GAMES
5th place Playoff Game
Oluyole Warriors Vs Islanders 12pm
7th place Playoff Game
Union Bank Vs Plateau Peaks 2pm
SEMI FINAL Games
Kano Pillars Vs Gombe Bulls 4pm
Mark Mentors Vs Dodan Warriors 6pm
Day 3 Results 15/7/2014
Union Bank 77-71 Plateau Peaks
Emeka. A 25 Pts, 7 rebs / Njoku C. 16 pts, 10 rebs
Ikonshul G.18 Pts, 3 rebs / Prewit G. 10 Pts, 4 rebs
Oluyole Warriors 34-53 Gombe Bulls
Balogun K. 10 Pts , 3 rebs / Sylvanus Yakubu 22 Pts, 10 rebs
Bayo A. 8 Pts, 5 rebs / Austin Eye 10 Pts, 4 rebs
Islanders 50-53 Mark Mentors
Hillary A. 22 Pts, 1 rebounds / Gumut S. 13 Pts, 6 rebs
Solomon I. 6 Pts, 5 rebs / Victor Anthony 11 Pts, 6 rebs
Dodan Warriors 79 -84 Kano Pillars
Romaric Q. 27 Pts, 7 rebs / Abu Usman 31 Pts, 4 rebs
Azuoma D. 19 Pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts / Ademola D.16 Pts, 10rebs
Semi Finals ( Fri. 17/7/2014)
Kano Pillars Vs Gombe Bulls
Mark Mentors Vs Dodan Warriors
Note: Tomorrow Wednesday 16th July, 2014 will be observed as a rest day.
Action resumes on Thursday in the classification games.
DSTV Premier Basketball League Final 8 Playoffs, Day 2 Results and Top performers
Day 2 Results and Top performers
Oluyole Warriors 43-63 Islanders
Bayo. A 7 Pts, 8 rebs / Ibrahim Okpe 16 pts, 10 rebs
Kano Pillars 93-53 Plateau Peaks
A.Usman 25 Pts, 4rebs / C. Njoku 13 Pts,10 rebs
Gombe Bulls 58-76 Mark Mentors
Yakubu s. 13 Pts, 3 rebs / Yahaya 17 Pts, 10rebs
Union Bank 52-65 Dodan Warriors
Emmanuel A. 10 Pts, 1 reb/ Azuoma 31 Pts, 5 rebs
Live action at the National Stadium Lagos and on Supersport9
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