Government Boys’ Secondary School, Barnawa, Kaduna State and St Peter’s College, Idah, Kogi State on Thursday joined Ilupeju Grammar School, Lagos State in the semi-finals of the boys’ category of the ongoing Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship. The event is holding at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.
The Kogi boys lost 45-43 to General Murtala Muhammed College, Yola, Adamawa State on Thursday but went through with the Kaduna boys on point difference after the three teams were tied on one win each.
Kaduna lost to Kogi with a two point margin but defeated Adamawa with a seven point margin to finish with a plus–five point difference, while Kogi lost to Adamawa with a two-point margin to finish with a zero point difference and Adamawa’s seven-point loss to Kaduna meant they finished with a minus-five point difference to book a place in one of Friday’s classification matches.
The Adamawa coach, Tinism Dickson, said he was okay because they bowed out with grace.
“We are happy with our performance in this year’s Milo basketball,” he said.
“We were not disgraced because we still won a match and only missed out on points difference. We didn’t really prepare well for this tournament because of the Boko Haram crisis in our state; it affected the boys’ academics and they lost about three terms.
“On their return, they had to focus more on academics and I am happy they still made it to the national finals.”
In Friday’s semi-finals, Group B leaders, Lagos, will play Group A runners-up, Kogi, while Group A winners, Kaduna, will play Group B runners-up, St Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State, who defeated St Joseph’s College, Nyman, Benue State 49-36.
Coach Yinka Oyeyemi of Ilupeju said his team is prepared for the game.
“I have a good team. We have been working on some of the errors observed in our last two matches. My boys are set to play in the final.”
