NBBF Premier Basketball League Day 1: Hoops N’ Read decimates Oluyole Warriors

Posted : 28 October 2024

Hoops N’ Read basketball club on Sunday came from behind to beat Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan in phase one of the abridged Nigeria Basketball Federation Men’s Premier League.

The basketball enthusiasts from Lagos State staged a sweet and stunning comeback after a lackluster first and second quarter, as Oluyole Warriors fired on all cylinders.

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The Warriors took the first quarter in style, shaking off a slow start to lead Hoops N’ Read 10-12 in the first quarter.

Hoops N’ Read lost their grip in the second quarter, resulting in poor ball handling and turnovers, with the Oyo State players stealing the show to make the score 22–29 points.

The men from Oyo State came prepared but not well enough to win, as Hoops N’ Read from the City of Excellence wreaked havoc on Oluyole Warriors’ defense in the third and final quarters, finishing 61-59.

The narrow loss left the Basketball Warriors from Ibadan gasping for breath while Hoops N’ Read celebrated triumphantly in the ancient city of Benin.

Hoops N’ Read will seek to win their second league game against the fierce and commanding Comets at the Basketball Courts of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

The Head Coach of Hoops N’ Read, Victor Mensah, stated that Oluyole Warriors proved to be a hard nut to crack.

“It was a tough game against the Oluyole Warriors. We played them twice during the South-South tournament in Oyo State, where my team won both games by small margins, and it was the same here in the NBBF league.

“They came at us with everything, and it almost gave them the win. Every first game is always like that, especially when we miss too many free throws,” he expressed.

The coach went on to add that his side would take and implement the lessons learned from today’s near miss, as they have a date to keep with Comets on Monday.

“Going into our next game against a technical team like Comets, we will approach the game with everything in our arsenal, so that at the end of 40 minutes, we will secure the victory,” he concluded.

Leading the team on the attack, captain of the all-conquering squad Tolani Buhari, also echoed his coach’s sentiments, stating that it was a nervy battle.

“It was a great game; we played a tough side. Their size gave them an advantage as we are bigger, which provided them with an edge. It was a challenging game overall; they gave us a run for our money, but in the end, we emerged victorious,” he explained.

The skipper re-emphasized that there are a few issues with the team, but he is very confident that the coaching staff will address these before their next match against Comets.

“We need to take care of our rebounds, collapse, and box out on every rebound. Additionally, we need to work on our perimeter defense. I believe that if we focus on all of this, coupled with the guidance of our A+ coaches and technical crew, we will have nothing to worry about,” he explained.

The abridged Men’s Premier League is divided into two groups, each with eight teams: the Atlantic Conference and the Savannah Conference.

Hoops N’ Read basketball club, aiming for the top spot, is in the Atlantic Conference with defending champion and bronze medalist at the 2024 BAL Championship, Rivers Hoopers, the fierce cagers of Ilorin, Kwara Falcons, Ebun Comets of Lagos, Police Baton of Lagos, Lagos Legends, Oluyole Warriors of Oyo State, and Delta Force of Delta State, vying to punch their way into the final eight.

Four teams from each conference will qualify for the final eight tournament that will crown the new king of Men’s Basketball in Nigeria.

NBBF Premier Basketball League Day 1: Hoops N’ Read decimates Oluyole Warriors

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