NPBL Final 8: Maktown Flyers, Rivers Hoopers Maintain Winning Form as Final 8 Enters Day Four
Maktown Flyers, Rivers Hoopers, Gboko City Chiefs and Aso Skyhawks recorded important victories on Day Three of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final 8, currently taking place at the Basketball Stadium on Niger Street, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Defending champions Maktown Flyers opened the day’s action against Lagos Raptors and dug deep to secure a 67-61 victory, maintaining their perfect record after three games.
The result took Maktown to three wins from three, while Lagos Raptors remain without a victory and will be hoping to revive their campaign when they face Aso Skyhawks on Day Four.
Gboko City Chiefs and 313 Warriors then served up one of the most exciting contests of the day, with the lead changing hands six times and the scores tied on three occasions.
The Benue-based Chiefs struggled with ball possession, committing 12 turnovers in the opening quarter, but the Warriors were unable to take full advantage, scoring only nine points off those turnovers.
Marcus Thomas Jr provided some early brilliance with a no-look pass and back-to-back three-point shots, finishing the game with 11 points and three three-pointers.
However, Oliver Hampton and Augustine Richard delivered when it mattered most, contributing 20 and 15 points respectively to inspire Gboko City Chiefs to victory. Ibrahim Abdulkadir was impressive for 313 Warriors despite the defeat, scoring a team-joint-high 12 points and recording four steals.
Aso Skyhawks produced the most dominant performance of the day, overwhelming Kano Pillars 89-58. Kano endured a difficult first half, managing only 11 points before the interval as the Skyhawks raced into a commanding 46-11 lead.
AK Coulibaly led the Skyhawks’ scoring with a game-high 19 points, while Adebayo Abimbola dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. Emmanuel Abdullahi was Kano Pillars’ standout performer, coming off the bench to score a team-high 14 points, but his efforts were not enough to prevent a heavy defeat.
Hosts Rivers Hoopers brought the curtains down on Day Three with a hard-fought 68-58 victory over Hoops and Read. Rivers Hoopers had to recover from an 11-point deficit before fighting back to reduce the gap to 38-36 at halftime.
An improved defensive display in the second half helped the hosts contain a determined Hoops and Read side while finding greater rhythm in attack. Rivers Hoopers eventually pulled clear to claim the 10-point victory and round off another thrilling day of action in Port Harcourt.
Day Four promises another exciting round of games, with Hoops and Read facing 313 Warriors, Maktown Flyers taking on Kano Pillars, Lagos Raptors meeting Aso Skyhawks, while hosts Rivers Hoopers clash with Gboko City Chiefs in the final game of the day.
All the matches will take place at the Basketball Stadium, Niger Street, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
