NIGERIA : Elephant Girls Maintain Lead to Lagos

Zenith Bank League champions First Bank Basketball Club are maintaining their league leadership as the teams prepare for the final phase of the league in Lagos this month. The Elephant Girls, as the First Bank team are nicknamed, retained the top spot after the second stage in Asaba with 36 points garnered from 18 games. The total is a combination of the 9 games from the Kaduna leg and the Asaba event, which rounded off by the weekend.

The Bankers who won all their games in the opening stanza were followed at the top by First Deepwater, who had 34 points - Dolphins are third with 31 points.

The top teams from the league will represent the country in the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women in the last quarter of this year. Both top teams look as good as having qualified for the competition.

On the final day (Saturday) of the second phase, AHIP of Kano defeated F.C.T Angels by 64-43 points while Plateau Rocks basketball club of Jos defeated Nigeria Immigration 62-43. The game between Delta Force of Asaba and Customs ended 65-60 for Delta. Deepwater beat Sunshine Angels of Akure 81-54 while leaders First Bank swam over Dolphins by 84-63.

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) will take a decision on the date for the final phase after the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers that would be held inside the Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos. The Zenith Bank League final phase will hold at the same venue.