Final 8: Pillars Through to Final, Pick Continental Ticket

After a tensed semi final battle between Kano Pillars and Kwara Falcons of Ilorin, Kano Pillars emerged victorious beating Kwara Falcons 69-59 points to zoom into the finals of the 2017 Kwese Premier League holding at the Indoor Gym of the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

The clash between the two conference champions was a thriller of sort with the Falcons giving Pillars a big fight. With the win Pillars becomes the first team in the Final 8 championship to book a continental ticket.

Kano Pillars star Abubakar Usman scored the game’s highest with 24 points while Nwafor Josep and Eli Ibrahim contributed 10 points each with Dele Ademola completing highest scores with 11 points for the hosts.

Hard-fighting Falcons player Mojuba Oyeleye scored 18 points to finish as the Ilorin based team’s highest scorer.

Mathew Omonya expressing happiness for emerging as the first team to reach the final and aim for the ultimate N20m prize money said the cash prize was their biggest motivation: “When the prize money was announced we became extra motivated to go all out for the win.

“It was a hard fought battle but we had to surmount the hurdle because we didn’t want to be left out of the largesse. The money was a big motivation for us and we thank the sponsor Kwese Sports for this. Our eyes are on the trophy and the sponsorship prize money,” stressed Omonya.

Meanwhile, in line with the Tijjani Umar led faction of the NBBF board’s philosophy of reaching out to the less privileged and giving back to the society, coaches and players participating at the Kwese Premier League Final 8 yesterday visited the Nasarawa Children’s Home in Kano.

The Community Outreach Service instituted by the Umar led board a couple of years ago is part of activities flagged off in the ongoing Kwese Premier Basketball League Final 8 Championship holding at the Indoor Hall, Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

Umar, who led some members of the board, former national team coaches, coaches of clubs at the Final 8, former national team players and some players in the ongoing league, referees and technical officials to deliver some gift items said: “Today we identify with the less privileged to show that we care and are willing to support them to aspire and become great in life.”