RSA - Soweto hosts the Professional Basketball League

JOHANNESBURG (PBL) - This past Saturday the Professional Basketball League moved to the Orlando Communal Hall, were all four inland teams were in action. The Egoli Magic took on the Johannesburg Olympians and the Soweto Panthers played the Tshwane Suns.

The Johannesburg Olympians continued the trend of being the whipping boys of the Inland Conference on Saturday after getting off to a slow start against the Magic.

At the end of the 1st Quarter the Magic were up by 15 points, 27-12.

The Olympians could not stop a scorching Sfiso Ngcobo who made 4 three pointers in the first quarter alone. By half-time, Egoli Magic had increased their first quarter lead to 25 points and never looked back.

The Magic won the game by 24 points, 79 to 55, led by guard, Sfiso Ncobo who finished the game with 26 points to lead all scorers.

Everyone expected the Panthers and the Suns clash to be a close one. And for the first 7 minutes of the first quarter it lived up to it's billing.

The Panthers led by a single point 17-16. Then Panthers forward Neo Mothiba hit a three pointer that was followed by 7 unanswered points by the Panthers to give the Panthers a commanding 27-16 lead after a solitary quarter.

In the second Quarter the Panthers picked up right where they left off with a 6 -0 run.

The Suns lacked fire power and turned the ball over in the back-court too many times due to the hard nose defense played by the Panthers.

At half-time the Soweto had 53 to the Suns 28. The highlight of the 3rd Quarter was a 360 dunk by Buzango Lamouline on the fast break after the Panthers stole the ball at half-court. Soweto ended up winning the game 95-59.

On Sunday the games moved to Mandeville. In what can be considered the game of the week the Panthers outclassed the Magic after getting off to a slow start in the 1st Quarter.

Soweto beat Egoli 77 to 54. In the second game the Suns manhandled the Olympians 83-71.

The Soweto Panthers are on top of the Inland Conference, the Egoli Magic second, Tswane Suns third and the Johannesburg Olympians are at the bottom and have yet to win a game.

This Saturday the 13th of January, the Coastal Conference will be in Action.

The Cape Town Kings will be facing the Cape Town Eagles at UCT at 15h00; the Kwazulu Marlins will be visiting the Pietermaritzburg Tuskers at the YMCA, with a 16h00 tip-off; and the Tshwane Suns will be playing the Johannesburg Olympians at Mandeville at 16h00.

The Professional Basketball League highlights air every Wednesday night on Supersport at 8:00pm.

Tshepo Ditshego
FIBA Official Correspondent in South Africa