15TH NSF: Lagos, Ondo and Oyo made it to Abeokuta

Three states Lagos, Ondo and Oyo have all picked tickets in various to represent the Southwest zone in the basketball event of the 15th National Sports Festival tagged ‘The Gateway Games’ holding in Abeokuta, Ogun State next year.

Lagos State as usual emerged top in the men and women categories though with stiff opposition from Ondo State in the women cadre, while Oyo picked the second men ticket at the expense of Osun State.

In the opening women game of the qualifiers between Lagos and Ondo which was described by basketball faithful as one of the best female basketball match seen in recent time as both sides matched each other skill for skill and strength for strength with Lagos scrapping through with a slim two points margin of 49-47 points as Lagos decision Oyo in the men game by 47-37 points to send a clear signal to other would-be contenders to be wary of what to come.

Osun State also follows the example set by Lagos when it out dunk Ondo boys by 47-37 points only to lose its remaining two games to Lagos (61-48) and Oyo (52-46), Lagos continued its dominance of the zone when it recorded a 56-40 points victory over Ondo State.

The coach Yinka Oyewumi and Bailey Vidal coached Lagos female team had a walk-over against Osun who pulled out of the contest at the eleventh hours also defeated their Oyo state counterpart in her last qualifying match 30-24 points while coaches Andrew Isokpehi and Shola Aluko tutored Sunshine girls put up a five-star performance to edged past Oyo winning in grand style of 43-29 points.

At the end of hostilities Lagos men team came top with 6 points having won all its three qualifying matches, Oyo was second with 5 points, Osun placed third with 4 points as Ondo occupies the rear with 3 points.

Lagos also came top in the female category with 6 points, Ondo second with 5 points, Oyo was third with 4 points while Osun placed a distance fourth without any point having been walk-over by all the States present.