Kehinde Adewule, Basketball Coach, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, on Wednesday said that his players were in the Olumide Oyedeji Intercollegiate Basketball Championship for the trophy.

Adewule told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that defeating Lead City University, Ibadan, 62-57 in their second game in the competition, was a big boost to their confidence.

“We are happy over the victory; having lost our first game to the College of Education, Minna, we have to bounce back with a strong mentality to claim our victory.

“We will approach our next game against the North American University (NAU ), Benin Republic, with more tactical play and purposefulness, because it can land us in the quarter-finals,’’ Adewule said.

Lai Sobogun, Coach, Lead City University blamed the defeat to OAU on loss of concentration at the wrong time.

“We won the first game to NAU, and we could have beaten OAU as well, but for some careless mistakes at the tail end of the match.

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“We have to bounce back for our next match which is crucial to our progression to the next stage of the competition,’’ Sobogun said.

In the second round matches played at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, Sports Complex, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, recorded a second straight victory, beating the host, UNILAG, 62-58.

College of Education, Minna, also recorded their second win walloping NAU, 115-46, while Yaba College of Technology trashed Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, 83-67.

The championship in with eight tertiary institutions participating, began on Jan. 14 and will end on Jan. 22.

(Source: NAN)