(by Olusegun Ikuesan) africabasket.com
As the regular season of the Atlantic conference of the DStv Premier Basketball League draw to a close Dodan Warriors basketball club and Comets basketball club picked valuable wins over Chariots basketball club and Islanders basketball club on Saturday in Lagos.
Dodan Warriors BC defeated Chariots BC by 69-47 points with a stellar three-point shot from combo guard Mohammed Bukar at the buzzer to give the 2006 FIBA Africa Champions Club third place finisher a final-8 playoffs ticket.
Warriors dominated the Chariots in all departments of the game winning in all four quarters by 19-14, 16-11, 21-11 and 13-11 to end the regular season with a 8-6 records and fourth place in the conference.
Comets BC on the other hand made a bold come-back after missing out of the playoffs party for several years with a 69-61 points victory over Islanders BC for a 9-5 record and third place finish.
The Dakar, Senegal 2001 second place team of the now rested FIBA Africa Winners Club Cup Championship (ASHRY CUP) picked the first three quarters by 17-10, 20-17, 14-12 but lost the last one by 18-22 points respectively with former Nigeria international Dennis Ebikoro showing great presence for the 2003 winner of the Nigerian league.
Union Bank basketball club on Sunday extended its regular season record to 13-1 with a 96-81 points victory over Police Baton basketball club in a local derby at the sports hall of the national stadium, Lagos.
The victory thus earn the Coach Ayinla Johnson tutored bankers the top spot of the Atlantic conference of the DStv Premier Basketball League leading three other clubs from the conference (Royal Hoopers, Comets and Dodan Warriors) to the final-8 playoffs.
...... Action resume in the Savannah
Action return to the Savannah conference after weeks of inactivities due to the outbreak of violence that rock some Northern part of the country after the outcome of the Presidential election with four games lined up Wednesday across four cities.
In Bauchi, Nets will be at home to defending champion of the league Kano Pillars basketball club in a week-11 game, Kada Stars basketball club of Kaduna will host Niger Potters basketball club of Minna at the sports hall of the Muritala Muhammed Square, Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi will be the guest of Immigration basketball club of Kano at the sports hall of Sani Abacha stadium, while Plateau Peaks basketball club and Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos in a local derby in Abuja.
The conference regular season is expected to the rounded up in two weeks of resumption of hostilities in order to give teams from the conference enough time to prepare for the final-8 playoffs.