We can’t afford to lose another away match, says Falcon head coach
NAN-S-18
Basketball
By Olayinka Owolewa
Ilorin, July 18, 2017 (NAN) Coach of Atlantic Conference side, Kwara Falcons, Adewumi Aderemi, will hope to avoid another upset when they travel to play bottom side Nigeria Air Force Rockets on Saturday in Lagos.
The coach told newsmen on Tuesday in Ilorin ahead of the game that his boys must be in the right state of mind to start winning away from home again.
The Falcons had already beaten the NAF Rockets thrice in the Kwese Basketball Premier League so far in the regular season.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Falcons have lost their last two away fixtures against Customs and Oluyole Warriors which have seen them drop to second on the log.
Aderemi said it was important that his team maintained its focus and discipline in the midst of impressive results.
The Falcons’ head coach said winning the important games was the key to achieving the season objective.
“There are six games left to play in the regular season, four of which are at home with the remaining two away from home.
“I will maintain that losing our last two away games is not the end of the world for us.
“It’s not as if we are choosing games to win but Oluyole warriors deserves the victory because we didn’t last well,” Aderemi said.
The Ilorin side is currently second behind Rivers Hoopers on the Atlantic Conference log, but Aderemi is unfazed about his team’s position and Hooper’s leadership.
He attributed little meaning to finishing top of the Conference, but rather a better placed finish in the season-ending playoffs.
“Being on top of the table this regular season doesn’t really matter.
“We still have to go to the conference six and it is the placement from the conference six that tells your placement in the final eight.
“You can finish second, third or even sixth in the conference and still win the final six, it really doesn’t matter.
“As it stands, we have qualified for the final six even if we lose all the remaining games which I don’t think it’s possible.
“Forget that Rivers Hoopers are on top; we beat them by 36 points in Ilorin and also went to Port Harcourt to beat them.
“In fact, they are still coming to Ilorin to play us before the end of the regular season.”
Kwara Falcons will be staying back in Lagos after the game against NAF Rockets to face hard fighting Hoops N Read on Saturday. (NAN)
OOH/ESAN/IA
(Edited by Abiodun Esan/Idris Abdulrahman)