Dolphins demolish Coal City Queens to top Group B
olphins Basketball Club of Lagos yesterday whitewashed their Coal City Queens of Enugu 92-29 to maintain their 100% unbeaten record at the ongoing 11th Zenith Bank National Female Basketball League.
The last year’s runners up took the game to their opponents from the first quarter, taking a 16-7 lead into the second quarter.
Dolphins, propelled by sharpshooter, J. Ese who made five of her seven threepoints attempts, jetted into an unassailable 43 points lead against the Enugu side’s 13 at the end of the second quarter.
The third and fourth quarters followed the same pattern with Dolphins ending both with 61-21 and 92-29 scores respectively.
Guard, Patience Okpe with 19 points was the highest scorer for the Lagos-based team but Ese also contributed 17 points to ensure an emphatic win for the team.
Dolphins have not lost any match at the competition, winning IGP Queens 89-47 in their first match before going on to defeat Delta Force and Custom 80-47 and 56-39 respectively.
Head Coach of Dolphins, Okworogun Ochiko said her team was at the competition to win it having lost out to First Bank in the last two editions.
“The girls prepared well even though they have not played to our expectations yet. Because they are winning, people will say they are having a great game but they are not there yet.
“We are aiming for the trophy this year having came second in the past two editions. We have added two players to make the team stronger,” she said.
Though, most of their players are short and can be easily outmuscled but the coach insisted it was not a disadvantage, saying “what the tall players can do, the short ones can as well.”
She stressed that the strength of the team has always been in the guards, adding that she will continue to pick her short guards ahead of the tall ones.
Speaking to Daily Trust, top scorer of the Patience Okpe said the support she received from her teammates helped her score the highest basket in the match.
She also attributed the success of the team so far to discipline, fast breaking tactics and the ability of the team’s three points shooter.
Other matches played yesterday saw Delta Force whitewashing Zamfara girls 65:8, Benue Princess edging Immigration 33:31 while Platueau Rocks dispatched AHIP Queens 39:29.