The Final Eight of the Nigerian Premier Basketball League continued with blockbuster encounters that saw no changes to the victors and vanquished from Day 1.
Day two tipped off with a heated clash between Kwara Falcons and Lagos Legends. After a closely contested first quarter, the Legends took a slim four-point lead. By the second quarter, the momentum remained high, as did the atmosphere. The game was tied 23-23, but Legends edged out the Falcons 32-29 at halftime.
The third quarter took an entirely different turn. Kwara Falcons lost their rhythm, riddled with turnovers that allowed Legends to strengthen their lead and eventually grab a 71-54 victory. Legends got 26 points off turnovers, 17 second-chance points and made the most of the bench, contributing 31 points. Kwara Falcons had only a two-point lead which lasted for 00.08s in the entirety of the game.
The second encounter saw Nigeria Customs suffer another narrow defeat, this time to Gboko City Chiefs, with a final score of 80-77. Despite Favour Aboje’s consecutive standout performance, scoring a game-high 23 points, Customs couldn’t grab the win.
The penultimate game was a physical battle between Nile University and Hoops and Read. Unlike their nail-biting two-point victory in the opener, Nile University asserted dominance with a solid 76-66 win.
The final showdown of the night pitted Rivers Hoopers against Kano Pillars. Pillars started strong, leading 10-3 early and maintaining a 15-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter. However, Rivers Hoopers, initially struggling to find their rhythm, found a spark in Victor Sunday. The number 6 delivered a big performance, dropping 17 points, 2 assists, and 3 defensive rebounds, and initiating fast breaks – all within just 18 minutes. With the starting five struggling, the Hoopers’ bench stepped up in a big way, contributing 45 of their 69 points to seal a 69-57 victory.
Full Results:
Kwara Falcons 54-71 Lagos Legends
Nigeria Customs 77-80 Gboko City Chiefs
Nile University 76-66 Hoops and Read
Rivers Hoopers 69-57 Kano Pillars
Day 3 Fixtures:
Kwara Falcons vs Hoops and Read 11am
Lagos Legends vs Gboko City Chiefs 1pm
Nile University vs Ksno Pillars 3pm
Rivers Hoopers vs Nigeria Customs 5pm
