Nigeria’s schools crash out from World School Basketball Championships

Nigeria’s boys’ team at the ISF World Secondary School Basketball Championship, Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Ovom.<br />

The country’s remaining hope at the ongoing World School Basketball Championships held in Serbia, Bishop Dimieari Grammar School (BDGS), Ovom, at the weekend, crashed out of the competition.

The boys faced Brazil in their quarterfinals match but lost 49-72 (11-12, 14-22, 8-20, 16-18) in straight sets; joining the girls, who did not make the quarterfinals based on a technicality.    Despite defeating Chile in their last group match and boasting two wins and a loss, same as Bulgaria and Turkey, the two European countries progressed, while the Bayelsa girls ended in third place in the group on technicalities.

At the end of the three group matches, Bulgaria had 174 points, conceded 143 with a points average (the equivalent of goals difference in football) of 31; Turkey had 166 points, conceded 130 and ended up having a points average of 36, while Nigeria had a points average of 35 after scoring 157 and conceding 122 points.     Ordinarily, Turkey with 36 points average and Nigeria with 35 points average should have progressed, but from what played out in Serbia, Bulgaria, with a points average of 31 came tops and Turkey followed, leaving the Nigerian girls out.

Even with the least points average of 31, Bulgaria scored the highest points (174) and came tops, while Turkey, with 166 points, came second and Nigeria, with 157 points (but with the supposedly second-best points average) was adjudged third.

Nigerian officials protested against the ouster of the girls’ team from group D, but it did not yield any fruit, as the girls were made to play a classification match to determine their ranking among the