LAGOS (Vmobile Premier league) - Delta Force basketball club of Asaba last Friday at the Sports Hall of the Asaba Township Stadium recorded its first ever victory in the six-week old Vmobile premier league with a 61-59 points win over Islanders basketball club of Lagos.
The Asaba based team who also last week lost its controversial week-4 encounter with Dodan Warriors in the board room redeemed its image with that all important win but still occupy the bottom of the Atlantic conference table with 6 points.
In Lagos Union Bank fought the battle of its live to wade off the stiff opposition mounted against by Dodan Warriors basketball club in a local derby at the Sports Hall of the Lagos national stadium.
The Stallion boys as the bankers are known won the hard fought encounter 79-69 points at over-time after both side ended the fourth quarter with 64 points apiece.
The more experienced Uniona Bank spear-headed by Louis Edem Ekpeyong who led the floor on the beautiful night with 26 points and Ejike Ugboaja who had another double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds won the first quater 20-18 points but lost the second quarter to the rampaging Warriors boys 16-06 for a first half score of 34-26 points in favour of the Warriors.
The banker came out strongly in the third quarter and proved that they are not in any mood to go down to the Warriors a second time in the league having lost their first meeting 78-73points to win the quarter 18012 points and continue the pressure which paid off in the last quarter which it also won 20-18 points before blasting home in the five-minute over-time for 15-05 points to shot to the top of the table with 11 points from five wins and a lose.
The Sunday pairing between Ebun Comets basketball club and Customs basketball club stressed into yet another over-time with the former Akure-based team winning by 69-67 points.
Customs inspirational guard and D'Tigers captain Abdulrahman Mohammed blistering effort could not save the borders boys from defeat as the youthful Comets side match them strength for strength, skill for skill.
Customs who initially appear set to brightened its chances of making the conference final-4 playoffs with a 15-10 points win in the first quarter soon surrender the next two quarters to the Baba Jibril captained side (13-08) and (20-18), its effort to redeem itself from defeat in the fourth quarter could only take the match into five-minute over-time which it eventually lost.
Kano Pillars continues it foray in the Savannah conference with an emphatic 76-56 points win over AHIP Giant basketball club in a local derby played at the Sports Hall of the Sani Abacha stadium, Kano.
In Minna, home team and 2005 Vmobile challenge runner-up Niger Potters basketball handed down a better defeat to visiting Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos.
The Minna side ran away with cumulative scores of 93-56 points to brighten its chances of picking one of the four slots for the conference playoffs.
And in Bauchi Yelwa Hawks continues it impressive performance with a 63-47 points victory over Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos.
Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Official Correspondent in Nigeria