Nigeria’s Customs secured a decisive 83-53 victory over Kenya’s Equity Bank, concluding their Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) campaign with a commendable fifth-place ranking.
Under the guidance of coach Abdulrahman Mohammed, the team finished the 10-team competition with a 4-3 win-loss ratio despite the absence of key players Olaoluwatomi Taiwo, Maranne Johnson, and Isabel Gonzalez due to unforeseen emergencies.
Expressing satisfaction with his team’s performance, Coach Mohammed highlighted the exceptional execution, emphasizing the players’ resilience in the absence of key contributors.
Captain Nkem Akaraiwe played a pivotal role, scoring 21 points in just over 15 minutes, propelling Nigeria to a 37-28 lead in the first half characterized by six lead changes and one tie.
Customs capitalized on Equity’s turnovers, converting 17 points from the Kenyan side’s 10 errors in ball possession. The second half saw Equity struggling to catch up, with Customs maintaining control and eventually securing a 23-7 lead to clinch the victory.
Nkem emerged as the top scorer for Customs, amassing 27 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks, achieving a match-high efficiency ranking of 44.
Favour Opara contributed 21 points, while Ebere Okeke reached double digits with 10 points. For Equity, Grace Malu led with 18 points and 7 rebounds.
Despite the challenges, Equity’s coach Benson Oluoch acknowledged the learning experience and expressed optimism for future improvement.
