The Nigeria Police basketball team, The Police Baton basketball club at the weekend brighten its chances of making it to the final-8 playoffs slated for the Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers State with a 59-42 points victory over former champion of the Nigeria league, Lagos Islanders basketball club at the sports hall of the national stadium, Lagos.
The Coach Mark Balogun tutored Baton humbled Islanders in all departments of the game winning in all four-quarter by 13-08, 15-12, 18-10 and 13-12 with Baton combo-guard Kelvin Dandison leading the floor with 18 points and 3 rebounds.
Dandison teammates, Dapo Peters and Malik Tella added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 10 rebounds respectively to put paid to the ambition of the Islanders.
The victory shot Baton to the third position of the Atlantic conference standing with a game against second placed Union Bank basketball club on Friday in Lagos.
Other regular season games in both conferences of the DStv Premier League, in the Atlantic conference Ebun Comets basketball club and Dodan Warriors basketball club will lock horns on Wednesday in Lagos while run-away conference leader, Royal Hoopers bnasketball club will be at home to Delta Force basketball club at the Civic Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State while Dodan Warriors basketball club and Lagos Islanders basketball will round-off the conference regular season game on Saturday in Lagos.
in the Savannah conference two teams (Plateau Peaks and Niger Potters) whose final-8 playoffs qualifications depended on the last regular season pairings of the conference, Plateau Peaks will be at home in Kaduna to defending champion, Kano Pillars in a tough duel as the defending champion who are already through to the playoffs will be playing for pride while Niger Potters basketball club of Minna will welcome relegated AHIP Giants basketball club of Kano.
Though the odd to pick the Savannah conference fourth slot favours Potters who will be playing against relegated AHIP in Minna but must have to win convincingly if they want to be part of the Garden City playoffs party.