Debutants Air Warriors basketball club are champions of the 2019 Zenith Women Basketball League.
The Abuja based team beat MFM Queens 55-53 in the final at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Thursday.
Warriors dominated the first half winning the first quarter by 14-7 points before going into half time with a 34-23 points lead on the back of a 20-17 points win in the second quarter.
It was a different ball game in the second half with both teams scoring 12 points each in the third quarter.
MFM Queens, however, left it too late in the game to rally back and despite winning the fourth quarter 17-9, coach Aderemi Adewunmi’s charges ended up losing the match by three points.
Murjanatu Musa of Air Warriors posted another double-double display with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists to win the title for her side.
She also picked the Most Valuable Player of the League for the 2019 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League season.
Murjanatu was listed alongside Ifunanya Okoro (First Bank), Gbihi Cynthia (Dolphins), Josette Anaswem (Customs) and Ifunanya Ijeh (MFM Queens) as the Tournament’s Top 5.
For individual awards, Jossette Anaswem emerged as tournament’s highest point scorer as well as the Three Points shooter.
Murjanatu won the Highest Rebounder and Highest Blocks award while Ifunanya Okoro settled for Assists and Steal leader as her team became the fourth team to have ever won the league in the last 15 years.
Both teams have qualified to represent Nigeria at the FIBA Zone 3 Women Club Championship qualifiers holding in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Earlier, First Bank basketball club coasted to a comfortable 45 points win against Dolphins to win the bronze medal.
