Zenith Bank WBL: Dolphins Crush IGP Queens

Zenith Bank Women Basketball League defending champions, Dolphins opened their Final Eight campaign on a winning note at the weekend when they defeated hard-fighting Delta Force of Asaba 83-65.

To show their seriousness in not letting the title slip, Dolphins also went ahead to defeat IGP Queens yesterday to set up today’s match-up against Plateau Rocks of Jos.

Speaking after their second victory yesterday, Coach of Dolphins, Ochuko Okworogun, said the team’s mission is to defend the title they won last year hence they are taking every match one at a time.

 “We are not actually focusing on any particular team since none of the teams here is a push over. More so, when it is obvious that Dolphins is the target of all teams as the defending champions, we need to up our game,” she noted.

In some of the other matches played so far, the Nigeria Customs out-dunked AHIP Queens of Kano 68-44 while former champions First Bank defeated Benue Princess. Plateau Rocks lost 37-45 to IGP Queens.

Captain of  Plateau Rocks, Gloria Umeh, blamed her team’s loss to fatigue haven travelled a long distance before arriving Lagos for the games for the play-off.

“We travelled long way from Jos and arrived late hence we did not have enough rest before facing the Police ladies. We hope to make it up in the remaining matches,” she noted.

 But her opposite number in IGP Queens, Hannah Makanju, dismissed her excuses, insisting that they actually worked hard for their victory having trained enough for the finals unlike  Plateau Rocks whom she said may not have trained enough.

With two wins So far against the Benue Princess and Nigerian Customs, former champions, First Bank will like to consolidate on their Group B leadership when they face AHIP Queens of Kano today and the same goes to Group A leaders and defending champions, Dolphins as they take on Plateau Rocks today while IGP Queens will be slugging it out with Delta force in another group A pairings.

 Benue Princess will tackle Nigerian Customs to round of today’s hostilities that marked day three of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League grand finale.