The event was held at the indoor hall of Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

In the match played, Air Warriors demonstrated their dominance and displayed superior composure against a spirited Plateau Rocks side, which was eager to get their campaign back on track after losing their opening match to Royal Aces 78-49.

Air Warriors led the first quarter 18-15 and maintained their offensive prowess in the second quarter, winning it 35-26.

Plateau Rocks fought hard to narrow the gap to 54-41 in the third quarter before Air Warriors sealed the victory with a final score of 66-53, securing their second win.

Air Warriors had previously opened their campaign with a commanding 91-24 victory over HAM Warriors on the first day of the championship.

In another match on Day 2 of the Savanna Conference, Kada Angels rectified their earlier setback with a narrow 55-54 victory over HAM Warriors after losing their opening match 28-67 to Titans.

Speaking to our reporter after the match, Air Warriors coach Enenche Joshua expressed his ambition to reach the Final 8 and win the league:

“We aimed for victory, and we achieved our target. As a coach, you must respect your opponents; they came out to win after losing their first match, but we knew we were facing a stronger team compared to yesterday’s match. With our collective efforts, we managed to secure the win. I believe we will continue to improve by addressing our mistakes and implementing the strategies we worked on during training.

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“Last season, we reached the Final 8 but could not participate in Lagos for the competition due to certain circumstances. This year, we are working hard, trusting in God that we will reach the Final 8 and win the championship because we have truly put in the effort,” Joshua declared.

Despite two straight defeats in their first two games of the Savanna Conference, Plateau Rocks coach Ringsum Solomon Jacob remains optimistic about his team’s chances in the competition, stating: “It was a great game, even though we lost. Such is the nature of competition, and I believe my players performed admirably.

“We also lost our opening game, but it is not yet over for us. This is just the first phase of the league, and we have another phase ahead. The good thing is that we have five more matches to play in this first phase, and we will strive to secure at least three wins. So, we still have hope,” Jacob said.

Meanwhile, the Day 3 fixtures on Thursday, July 31, will see Plateau Rocks seeking their first win in the league against Titans, Nigerian Customs facing Kada Angels, Ham Warriors clashing with Royal Aces, and Nasarawa Amazons aiming to halt Air Warriors’ winning streak.

A total of eight clubs are competing for a spot in the Final 8 of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball Premier League: Air Warriors, Kada Angels, Royal Aces, Nasarawa Amazons, Nigerian Customs, Plateau Rocks, Titans, and Ham Warriors.

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Air Warriors defeated defending Champions- First Bank in the first semifinal of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League Final 8.

Despite leading for the better part of the game, First Bank surrendered their title with a 1 point loss, 61-62 points.

Blessing Kasham dropped 18 points and 2 rebounds while

Chinwe Okah recorded 13 points, 1 assist and 4 rebounds in a game that went down to the wire.

Rebound Queen, Murjanatu Musa had 17 rebounds, 3 assists and 9 points.

In the second semifinal, MFM Queens defeated Dolphins.

Having lost to Dolphins earlier in their group B encounter, the Olukoya Babes came determined against 2018 finalists to clinch a last minute 58-53 points win.

Although Gbihi Cynthia scored 20 points for Dolphins, combined efforts of Ezebilo Grace with 17 points, 2 assists and 11 rebounds alongside Ijeh Ifumnanya’s 11 points gave MFM Queens the deserved win.

It will be all to play for when MFM face Air Warriors who earlier defeated them in the group B game.

In the third placed game tomorrow, First Bank will play Dolphins.

Games starts by 11:00 a.m.

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The Elephant Girls were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals as they recorded another emphatic win over league debutants, BlackGold 90-33 points.

Grace John was the highest scorer for the Elephant Girls with 17 points and 4 assists while Ifunanya Okoro recorded 16 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in the first quarter finals game.

In another quarter final game, Air Warriors booked their semifinal spot with another 103-50 points impressive win against Plateau Rocks

The Plateau State sponsored team struggled against the well balanced team from Abuja.

For Air Warriors, it was all about Blessing Kasham who scored 18 points, 2 assists and 6 rebounds as they ran riot to lay claim to one of the semifinal tickets.

Murjanatu Musa also posted the player of the match display with 26 points, 2 assists and 12 rebounds.

Gloria Umeh of Plateau Rocks had 22points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds

Dolphins and Delta Force gave fans what to talk about for a very long time to come in the third quarter final game of the Zenith Bank sponsored final 8.

The match which went down to the wire with the teams going to overtime twice as both teams finished the game 72 points apiece at the end of regulation time.

Despite the loss, Delta Force did not go down without a serious fight as they succumbed to an 88-89points defeat.

Dolphins have qualified for the semi-final and will face the winner between MFM Queens and Customs of Abuja.

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