Gombe Bulls Basketball Club have edged out the defending champions, Kano Pillars 66-63 points in one of the semi-final matches of the 2018 Kwese Premier Basketball League Final 8.
The tension-soaked match was decided yesterday evening at the Indoor Sports Hall of Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
Gombe Bulls, who are reaching the final for the second time in a row, had succumbed to the superior firepower of Kano Pillars in the final of last year’s edition.
But they were not going to back down this time, though the coach Abdulrahman Mohammed-led team lost the first and second quarters 20-18 and 33-31 to Pillars respectively, they came out stronger in the second half.
They drew the third quarter 45-45, before overtaking their rivals in the last quarter to end the game with 66-63 points.
Wisdom Anyoaha scored the highest points of the game, recording 15 points and 5 rebound to help Gombe Bulls win the match and continental ticket to represent Nigeria in next year’s FIBA-Africa club Championship.
Speaking after the match, Coach Mohammed expressed delight in reaching the final for the second time in only two seasons.
”We had our game plans and all we needed to do was keep our focus and continue the way we began.
“We did not play with pressure, we were confident from the onset that we were going to achieve this and we are happy to do that in the end.
“The next thing for us is to prepare for final and win the cup for the people of Gombe State, particularly the state governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo who has been very supportive of the team,” he said.
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