NGR – Lagos Islanders win Union Bank, stay top

LAGOS (Dstv League) -Lagos Islanders yesterday defeated Union Bank 79-73 in the Dstv Basketball League match played in Lagos, Nigeria. It was a second defeat for the Bankers in the hands of the Islanders as both teams took the season’s jump ball with the Islanders winning that match 115-92. The result also means that the Islanders have maintained their lead on the table with maximum 14 points from seven matches played even with one game at hand.

In the Wednesday game, Union Bank took the first five points and set their organised supporters club drumming and trumpeting with joy. They maintained the lead at 15-11 during the break and still had a point’s lead at 31-30 during the break. But the third quarter turned out the battle time and indeed made the difference between both teams. Islanders took over the lead at 63-58 and maintained that lead until the buzzer. We started well but we soon lost focus and we have paid dearly for that,” Dave Onmoke, the Union Bank coach told FIBA Africa after the game at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium. “We also lost our free throws. A team that scores just two free throws out of eight will run into trouble like we did today. But somehow we lost to a better team.”

With the league going through the second lap, the Islanders look the only assured team of a place in the play off as at today. The other three slots of the conference remain open to Ebun Comets, Royal Hoopers, Union Bank and Dodan Warriors. Delta Force and Police Bombers are simply hanging on the fringes. The Customs are already out of the race with many games to go.

In the second match the day former national league champions Ebun Comets cut the Police Bombers 67-58. It was also a second win for the Comets over the Policemen. Their first clash last month ended 74-65 for the Comets.

By Pius Ayinor
FIBA Africa