Gombe Bulls Basketball club recently emerged the new champion of the Kwese Premier League Basketball, as voted the highest scorer of the Final 8 and also voted as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Gombe Bulls had 15 points from turnovers against Kwara Falcons’ 12. The final was a tough cracker as lead changed four times and the teams tied seven times. Gombe made 26 bench points against Falcon’s 14. The Bulls were also superior in the fast break points as they made eight points against Falcons’ five.
Both Gombe Bulls and Kwara Falcons have qualified to represent Nigeria at the FIBA Zone 3 African Club Championship.
In the loser’s final, defending champion, Kano Pillars defeated Hoops and Read 81-75 to finish as the third place winners.
In the individual awards, Celestine Nwafor of Kano Pillars was voted the Final 8 Highest Rebounder, Ibe Agu of Gombe Bulls was voted Highest Scorer and Most Valuable Player, while Tolani Buhari of Customs of Lagos was voted as winner of the Highest Assist Award.
Other winners include Liman Lesu of Bauchi Nets voted winner of the Highest number of three point shots.
Oche Omaga of Bauchi Nets, was voted as the player with highest blocked shots and Customs Basketball of Lagos club got the league’s Fair Play Award.
The champions’ trophy and medals, as well as the prizes for the second and third placed teams were presented to the victorious Gombe Bulls team in a colourful closing ceremony, Kwara Falcons and Kano Pillars teams by the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Tijani Umar, former president of the NBBF Senator U.K Umar and Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, the Chairman Kano State Sports Commission.
Tijani Umar, expressed his delight on the successful completion of the 2018 Kwese Premier League season despite the very tight budget.