Victoria Queens pile more misery on Dolphins

Victoria Queens pile more misery on Dolphins

…Defending champions suffer fifth consecutive defeat

Dolphins Basketball Club’s title defence continued to unravel in Port Harcourt as Victoria Queens handed the defending champions their fifth consecutive defeat in the second phase of the Zenith Bank Women’s Premier League.

The Queens emerged 45–32 winners at the Basketball Stadium, condemning Dolphins to another frustrating outing in a campaign that has increasingly become a battle for survival rather than one of championship defence.

For a team that entered the season as champions, Dolphins have found victories increasingly difficult to come by, with their youthful squad struggling to match the experience and cohesion of established opponents.

Victoria took an early 13–11 lead and gradually tightened their grip on the game. Dolphins were still within five points at the interval, trailing 25–20, but failed to produce the response required after the restart.

The Queens added nine points to Dolphins’ eight in the third quarter before putting the contest beyond doubt in the closing period, outscoring their opponents 11–4.

Dolphins combo guard Ekormah Ngozi acknowledged the disappointment within the camp but said the players remained committed to turning the difficult experience into something positive.

“It’s very heartbreaking because we have planned a lot of things, we have practised, and it was just so sad that we were not able to win any of the games. But we still keep pushing and hoping for the best,” Ngozi said.

She attributed part of the team’s difficulties to the inexperience of the rebuilt roster, revealing that only a small number of players have significant experience competing at the top level.

Ngozi believes the gap in experience was evident against Victoria Queens, despite the relatively young age of both teams.

According to her, Victoria benefited from greater familiarity among their players, having spent more time developing their partnership on the court.

But rather than dwell on the disappointing second phase, Ngozi has already set her sights on next season, promising that Dolphins will return with greater intensity.

“Next season you should be expecting more physicality, more wins, more aggressiveness, and more highlights,” she declared.

Elsewhere, MFM produced the most commanding performance of the day, dismantling Bayelsa Blue Whales 77–21 in the opening fixture.

First Deep Waters followed with a narrow 36–32 victory over IGP Queens in a contest where points proved difficult to come by.

First Bank rounded off the day in emphatic fashion, overwhelming Royal Aces 83–28 to secure a massive 55-point victory.