The 2023 Nigeria Basketball Premier League witnessed an exciting game on Tuesday as Lagos-based Ebun Comets defeated Ibadan’s Oluyole Warriors 52-48 at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium.
The win marked Ebun Comets’ second victory in three matches after their opening-day loss to Kwara Falcons on Sunday.
In another match on the same day, Hoop and Read basketball club of Lagos dominated Invaders of Ekiti with an 85-60 win, securing their second win in three games.
The Atlantic Conference of the league features seven clubs playing in the Ibadan Centre, including Impressions of Delta, Ondo Raiders, and Kwara Falcons.
Speaking on their match, Ayodele Bakare, the coach of Ebun Comets, said that his young team’s performance was affected by loss of concentration and match rustiness.
He attributed this to the short duration of the league, which runs for only a few weeks every year.
Although he acknowledged that teams’ concepts could be affected by long layoffs, he emphasised that individual players’ responsibilities, such as boxing out, should not be affected.
READ ALSO: https://thecrux.org.ng/man-arrested-for-allegedly-raping-78-year-old-woman-to-death-in-lagos-police/
He also expressed concern about their next match against Ondo Raiders, noting that the team could not afford to repeat the mistakes made in their game against Oluyole Warriors.
He stressed the importance of maintaining the right mindset and focusing on executing strategies against their opponents.
He further stated that the competition was a marathon, not a sprint and that their objective was to make the top four and win enough games to stay in the league.
Kayode Ademulegun, the assistant coach of Invaders, spoke positively about the game, noting that his team had learnt many lessons that they would apply in subsequent matches.
He acknowledged that the better side won the game and promised that his team would come out stronger in their next match.
The competition resumes on Wednesday, with Ebun Comets taking on Ondo Raiders, Impressions facing Invaders, and Kwara Falcons meeting Oluyole Warriors.
