Kano Pillars basketball club celebrateBy Stella Kabruk
Defending champions, Kano Pillars Basketball Club on Saturday recorded 100 per cent finish to win the Kwese Premier League Savannah Conference 6 play-offs after winning all their five matches.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament was held at Indoor Hall of the Murtala Square Kaduna between Aug. 14 and Aug. 19.
Six teams from the Savannah Conference – Kano Pillars, Gombe Bulls, Plateau Peaks, Niger Potters, Bauchi Net and Kada Stars- participated in the tournament.
Bauchi Nets and Kada Stars replaced Mark Mentors and Defenders, both of Abuja, who failed to turn up for the competition.
Kano Pillars had defeated Gombe Bulls 104-97, Kadda Stars 91-58 points, Bauchi Net 85-44 points, Niger Potters 103-71 points and Plateau Peaks 80-64 points to maintain an unbeaten run.
Coach of the Kano based team, Sani Ahmed, said he was happy with his team’s performance.
“Winning the Savanna Conference Six shows the level of consistency in the club. It also tells of the amount of hard work put in by the players to winning tournaments.”
Ahmed said the ultimate goal of the team is to retain the Final 8 trophy next month.
“The team is not one hundred per cent perfect yet. We are still a high scoring side averaging 80 points per game but we are still going to do more so as to defend and win the Final 8 at home in Kano.
“Our tradition is to win any tournament we find ourselves in. So, we aim to retain the Final 8.
“We have noticed some weaknesses and lapses in the course of our games and we will work on them before the Final 8. I noticed the boys sometimes get complacent but we need to be consistent and more perfect in taking shots.”
The coach also disclosed that the Conference play-offs was part of preparations for his team’s participation in an invitational tournament slated in Malaysia in the first week of September
“Immediately we conclude the play-offs and Final 8 we shall be honouring a fully sponsored trip to Malaysia for an invitational tournament involving teams from Japan, China, Malaysia and teams from other Asian countries.
” Good enough we will be prepared because this championship served as good preparations for the tournament.”
Other teams that qualified from the Savannah Conference Six are Niger Potters, Gombe Bulls and Plateau Peaks.
The Final 8 in Kano will see four teams each from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences battle for the ultimate prize to climax the Kwese Premier League Season.
