NAN-S-8
Basketball
Abuja, Oct. 12, 2016 (NAN) The 81 Div. Lagos, and the Army Headquarters’ basketball teams on Wednesday lived up to expectations, posting blowout wins to reach the semi-finals of the male and female basketball event respectively.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that both teams had won their first matches coming into the 2016 Nigerian Army Sports Festival in Abuja.
The 81Div. male basketball team had defeated 3 Div., Jos 74-65, while the AHQ female team out dunked 2 Divison, Ibadan 51-32.
The team had struggled to reach their full potential, while the Army Headquarters team delivered much more than expected in also reaching the last four.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 81 Div. extended their winning streaks to 2 consecutive games by routing 3 Div. 81-29.
The team dominated all four quarters, winning 28-5, 14-7, 22-7, 17-10, with Joseph Abah amassing 21 points at the end of the one-sided encounter.
“We got our swagger back, offensively and defensively.
“We are very motivated and good to go. We are now in the semi-finals,’’ Abah said.
Coach Lambo Olusoji of 81 Div., who spoke to NAN, attributed his side’s success to good preparation and teamwork.
“We are very comfortable and confident in the way we play because we prepared so well for the games.
“I don’t think any team can stop our momentum,’’ he said.
On his part, the coach of 3 Div., Adekunle Odunuga, said that inadequate preparation was the reason for his team’s poor performance.
“We didn’t have time to prepare as a team for the games and this has clearly shown in our last two performances.
“We have so far lost all our two matches,’’ he lamented.
Also, the game between Army Headquarters and their 81 Div. counterparts saw the former out dunk their opponents 72-20 to ease into the last four.
In other matches played earlier, 3 Div. lost 47-95 to 1 Div., while 2 Div. edged 82 Div. 45-48 in a pulsating encounter of the male basketball event.
The 1 Div. male basketball team also narrowly lost 65-74 to 81 Div., while Army Headquarters defeated 2 Div. 51-32 in the female category.
NAN reports that the Sports festival which kicked off on Oct. 8 will end on Oct. 15. (NAN)
VO/PDE
======
(Edited and Controlled by Peter Ejiofor)