Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt trip to Lagos the hub of the Atlantic conference of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) organized DStv Premier League proved worthy at the weekend as the Coach Ogoh Odaudu tutored side returned to its base with hundred percent record beating Ebun Comets and Union Bank basketball clubs respectively.
First to fall to the Hoopers was Ebun Comets who lost to the superior fire power of the Hoopers by 63-52 points in a highly tactical game as Coach Odaudu a former player and captain of the Comets style of play so well.
Hoopers won three of the four quarters in the first, third and fourth quarters (24-13, 16-10 and 18-15) while Comets settled for the second quarter with a 14-05 points win as consolation on Saturday.
The Hoopers returned to the centre court of the National Stadium, Lagos on Sunday to take on Union Bank basketball club who had earlier lost to Lagos Islanders basketball club by 89-76 points after over-time in a local derby.
Royal Hoopers entered the game against Union Bank as the under-dog given the pedigree of the Stallion boys who has dropped just one game but turned the table against the Rotimi Savage coached Union Bank winning the first quarter by 19-14 points.
The bankers tried all they could to get back into the game at the resumption of play in the second quarter but meet stiff opposition from the Anyebe Ujoh and Moses Daudu anchored Hoopers back-court to even the second quarter score at 15 points apiece.
Union Bank came back stronger into the game in the third quarter which paid off with a 20-17 points win to reduce between it and the visitor to just two points of 51-49 points going into the last and decisive quarter with Royal Hoopers players playing to the coaches instruction with a combination of good offense and defense to win the quarter by 27-10 points to run away with a 78-59 points win.
Hoopers now lead other teams in the Atlantic conference with 12 points from seven games while Islanders also had a great weekend beating Union Bank basketball club by 89-76 points last Friday with Cameroon-Nigerian small forward William Ndoumbe scoring a season high of 32 points and on Sunday the Islanders returned from where they left off to beat Nigeria Customs Service basketball club by 56-45 points to move to the second spot with 11 points from seven games.
Union bank retained its third position with 10 points from six games pushing down Police Baton who led the conference for two days to fourth place, Delta Force of Asaba, Dodan Warriors of Lagos, Ebun Comets of Lagos and Nigeria Customs occupies the fifth, sixth, seventh and eight positions on the Atlantic conference table where only four teams will make it to the final-8 playoffs.
In the Savannah conference league defending champion, Kano Pillars basketball club have continue to dictate the pace with a 75-51 points win over Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos at the sports hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano last Saturday.
Pillars now lead the Savannah conference with 11 points from six games while Kada Stars basketball club of Kaduna proved that its qualification for the playoffs last season when it became the first team in the league to post a centenary point with a 101-65 points whitewashing of Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos on Saturday at the sports hall of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.
AHIP Giants basketball club of Kano picked her first win of the season with a 68-64 points victory over Plateau Peaks Sunday, the lose further put the aspiration of the Peaks to make it to its fourth consecutive playoffs in jeopardy.
Full results:
Atlantic Conference:
Lagos Islanders 89-76 Union Bank Over-time
Ebun Comets 52-63 Royal Hoopers
Union Bank 59-78 Royal Hoopers
Nigeria Customs 45-56 Lagos Islanders
Savannah Conference:
Kano Pillars 75-51 Plateau Peaks
Tapgun Rockets 65-101 Kada Stars
AHIP Giants 68-64 Plateau Peaks