Basketball

2021 Afrobasket: D’Tigers win big against Kenya

Published

5 years ago

August 27, 2021

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria secured its second Afrobasket victory with a 71-55pts win against Kenya as they set their sight on an automatic quarter finals ticket.

D’Tigers came out with a 20-8 win in the first quarter while Kenya picked the second quarter 18-14pts but that was not enough to stop Nigeria finishing the first half 34-26.

Uzodinma Utomi took it from where he left off against Mali scoring 17pts to lead the side against a determined Kenya.

Jeremiah Mordi came off the bench to have a fantastic game offensively and defensively with a total of 10pts and 5 rebounds hassling the Kenyans all around the floor.

TK Edogi scored 9 points, 4rebounds and 1 assist while Jordan Ogundiran had 9pts with an impressive 75% field goal conversion.

Coach Mike Brown at the press conference emphasised on the need to improve as a team most especially defensively.

“I think we had some good shots offensively tonight that didn’t go in but our effort was inconsistent offensively and I thought that was what hurt us more”.

Brown said the team played better in the second half despite a good defensive effort from Kenya.

“When defense stiffens up, we get tighter or better. All we have to do is drive the basketball. When we drive the basketball, the defence will collapse and if we are unselfish, which the guys have been most part, we make the right pass and the floor is spaced, we are going to get good shots offensively.”

Reacting further, Brown said, “We don’t want people to believe in us. We believe in us and that is all that matters. We haven’t played well. We played better in the second half though, I thought as a team. Even in the first game we did not play real good and we played better in the first game than the second game”

“We can be better, we believe in ourselves and we believe we can continue to get better as the tournament goes along”, Brown said.

Nigeria will play Côte d’Ivoire on Sunday in its last group game.

Share on Facebook

Basketball

Fresh Ideas, Science Needed to Revitalise Basketball —ABA

Published

6 days ago

September 27, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

President/Founder, Amateur Basketball Academies, ABA, Aliyu Lucky Abubakar has called for a scientific and pragmatic approach to rediscovering the game of basketball in the North East.

The former player of many teams in Nigeria stated this on Saturday during training of coaches in Yola, Adamawa State.

Aliyu said the training is aimed to arm Coaches so they can, in turn, reach the children, especially those that ABA may not. The Deputy Comptroller in Nigeria Customs Service decried non-challant attitudes of the stakeholders in the development of basketball in the North East.

” Basketball is fading in the North East, and we at ABA will not allow it to die.”

“Adamawa was once a force in the game of basketball but had fallen behind. Our plan is to discover talent through coaching training, nurture it, and carry it from state level to the national team, and eventually, the global stage.” The basketball administrator said.

In his keynote message to the participants, which centered on the theme, “HOPE,” Harnessing opportunity, Organising for excellence, Promoting players’ development, and Empowering the next generation, Aliyu said, is far more than a drill instructors.

” Every child you see on a basketball court has a dream, and it is our job as a coach to spot it early and give it somewhere to go.” He concluded.

In his lecture titled, ” Who is a Coach”, Emmanuel Odah, the head Coach, FCT Basketball and former National Juniors team, described a coach as a committed, organised, affectionate, caring and humble.

” Commitment is consistency, and consistency is mother of progress; humility comes first because a coach who can not control himself can never control a game,” Odah insisted.

Other instructors at the training include ABA head of technical, Coach Adeka Daudu, as well as Coach Alexander Anyebe Ujoh, who spoke about the relationship between a coach and child in his care.

Coaches at the training commended ABA for its boldness to give hopes to basketball coaches all over the country. They promised that lessons learned would reshape and reset their mind on the job. They said the training will help them in understanding their role not only as an instructor but also grooming the children for a better future.

Among guests at the event include FCT Acting Director of Sports, Mr. Iyiola Ogundele and Bayelsa Veteran Basketball administrator, Coach Tony

Share on Facebook