Gboko City Chiefs upset the odds by defeating Nigeria Customs 72-66 on Friday in an entertaining contest between Savannah Conference rivals at the ongoing 2023 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final Four in Port Harcourt.
Having suffered a narrow loss to Rivers Hoopers in their first game, the Chiefs came into the encounter needing nothing short of victory, and duly delivered.
The Chiefs took the first quarter 15-13 but lost the advantage in the second quarter when Customs regrouped to outscore Chiefs 19-16 and ensured both teams went into the break level on 31 points apiece.
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Things remained tight after the restart, as Chiefs put their noses back in front to lead by 3 points at the end of the third, winning the third quarter 20-18.
Chiefs then enjoyed their best scoring run at the start of the fourth quarter, going 11-0 at one point to open up a 7-point lead with five minutes left on the clock. Staring down the barrel of a first defeat, Customs went on a run of their own in the final moments of the game but Chiefs held on for a famous 72-66 victory.
Okajah James led the scoring for the Chiefs with a game-high 18 points, shared with Godwin David who also poured in 18 for Customs.
The win was sweet revenge for Gboko City Chiefs who had lost to Customs during the Savannah Conference phase and also put an end to Custom’s 12-match unbeaten run.
The Chiefs must now win their final match of the tournament against Hoops & Read by 3pm today [Saturday, November 25 2023], and hope that Customs defeat Rivers Hoopers in their final fixture by 5pm to stay in contention for the league title.
