Nigeria: Super Eight – Kada Stars, Hoppers in Good Start

Y Adeolu Johnson

22 June 2011

Lagos — Royal Hoopers of Port Harcourt yesterday began the quest for the title of the 2010/11 DSTV Basketball Premier League Final Eight on a positive note, defeating Yelwa Hawks of Bauchi 80-65 in the opening match.

Royal Hoppers recorded their first victory at the In-Door Sports Hall, National Stadium Lagos venue of the championship.

Royal Hoopers, runners-up in the 2009/10 edition, won the first quarter 14-9 but the Bauchi team fought back to narrowly take the second 23-22.

In a see-saw game, the Port Harcourt side clinched the third quarter 26-13, only for Yelwa Hawks to bounce back and beat the Hoopers 20-18 in the last and final quarter.

In a post-match interview, Coach Ogoh Odaudu of Royal Hoopers described the match as difficult.

“My players lost grip of the game in two of the quarters but I believe their performance will get better as the competition progresses.

“I thank God that we won even though I did not see the best of my players. I want to say we have never played with Yelwa Hawks before and do not understand their style of play,” he added.

Oche Omuh, Yelwa Hawks coach, expressed satisfaction with the performance of his players.

“I am happy with the way my boys played because it shows they are coming of age, playing with the second best team in the Atlantic Conference the way they did,” he said.

“I believe my players’ performance will improve as the competition progresses because most of them are new players and would want to make a name by all means,” Omuh said.

In the second match of the day, Kada Stars of Kaduna defeated Ebun Comets of Lagos 59-57 in a closely-contested encounter.

Other matches to be played later in the day will see defending champions Kano Pillars of Kano playing Dodan Warriors of Lagos while Union Bank of Lagos will slugg it out with Bauchi Nets.

AllAfrica – All the Time