Abuja – Benue Princess on Monday thrashed Coal City Queens of Enugu 73-39 to record their second win in the Phase One of the 12th Zenith Bank National Women Basketball League.
The Makurdi-based side had in their opening game on Saturday defeated Taraba Hurricanes of Jalingo 56-17 and lost 38-43 on Sunday to Plateau Rocks of Jos.
The Group B match played at the Abuja National Stadium saw the Benue Princess outshining the Enugu side all through the game’s four quarters.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the first quarter Benue Princess led 22-7, and were 40-20 up by the end of the second quarter.
They scored 14 more points in the third quarter and conceded four to take the scoreline to 54-24.
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In the last quarter, Benue Princess scored 19 points, as their opponents scored 15 points to end the game 73-39.
At the end of the match, John Apir, the Team Manager of Benue Princess, said his team played against a weaker side.
“Our match today (Monday) was fair. The team we played was not a very strong team. So, I will not say we played well.
“It is expected that we do better than them. The scoreline ought to have been higher than that,’’ he said.
Apir however said his team was ready to battle its other opponents in the league.
“We will take each game one at a time. When we meet some of those stronger teams, we will ensure that we stand our ground and do our best,’’ he assured.
On his part, Sylvester Okwor of Coal City Queens said lack of training contributed to his team’s loss.
“If you look at the other teams participating in this league, you will notice that my players are the youngest.
“Most of the players are in school, writing examinations. So, it is a bit difficult for them for come out for trainings.
“We only trained for a week before coming into this league this year and that has resulted in our poor performance,’’ Okwor said.
NAN reports that Coal City Queens have not won any of their three matches since the commencement of the league on March 19.
Eighteen teams grouped into two are currently participating in the event with Dolphins of Lagos the defending champions.(NAN)
