It was an historic day in Nigerian Women’s Basketball after Air Warriors became the first team from Savannah Conference to lift the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League.
Air Warriors narrowly defeated their compatriots from Lagos, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM Queens, 55-53 in the final played at a packed Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere on Thursday.
While it was a rather close game, Warriors, inspired by the impressive Murjanatu Musa, led from the first to the fourth quarter and never looked like losing on the day except in the last 30 seconds of the last quarter with the game tied at 55-53.
The Airforce ladies held their nerves to make history, with Murjanatu, who finished the final with a double-double, 17 points and 15 rebounds, named as the overall MVP.
She was closely followed by Ezebilo Grace of MFM Queens, who scored 16 points and nine rebounds in the final.
The result means Warriors not only win their first-ever Zenith Bank Women’s crown but are the first to do so from the Savannah Conference.
“I am very happy, I feel so happy, ” Murjanatu exclusively told aclsports.com moments after the final.
“The final was something else, i tried to put up my best but i ended up buying fouls. But my teammates made me proud, ” she added.
Both Air Warriors and MFM Queens will now represent Nigeria in the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers taking place in Contonou, Benin Republic from October 28, 2019.
