Record winners of the Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Basketball League, First Bank, has overcome an early scare from the Bayelsa Blue Whales in their first game of the season’s finals, taking place at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
Bayelsa started strong, taking points off their illustrious opponents in the opening minutes of the first quarter. However, the bankers showcased their superiority, finishing the quarter 11-10 in their favour. They extended their lead in the second quarter to four points, concluding the first half at 24-20.
From that moment onwards, it was all First Bank, as they dominated the third and fourth quarters with scores of 17-7 and 12-9, respectively, ending the game with a final score of 53-36.
In the first game of the evening, Air Warriors suffered heartbreak as they lost by just two points to Royal Aces. Despite leading by seven points towards the end of the match, Royal Aces allowed their opponents to gain momentum, resulting in the game being tied at 52-52 with just a minute remaining.
With the crowd anticipating extra time, Royal Aces secured victory with a last-minute basket, finishing the match 54-52.
Meanwhile, there was good news for the eight teams participating in this year’s finals, as the league sponsor, Zenith Bank PLC, announced a total prize pool of N15.5m for all participating teams.
The champions will receive N7.5m, while the runners-up will take home N5m, and the third-place team will be awarded N3m for their efforts.
Additionally, all Atlantic and Savannah Conference winners will receive N1m each, and individual award winners, such as the MVP, will be awarded N500,000.
