CUSTOMS GRAB FINAL SPOT AS NPBL FINAL FOUR IS CONFIRMED

By: Gyang Dakwo

Nigeria Customs Basketball Club booked the last ticket to the Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final Four after a tense final day of the Final Eight tournament in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

They joined Lagos Legends, Rivers Hoopers, and Gboko City Chiefs in the race for the league title and a place in next year’s Basketball Africa League.

The day opened with a thrilling contest as Gboko City Chiefs faced Hoops and Read a lagos-based club. Both sides needed a win to stay alive, but the Chiefs held on for a narrow 63–62 victory after almost throwing away a 20-point lead. Michael Oriahki was the star man as he led the way for Gboko with 16 points

Nigeria Customs then sealed the fourth and final ticket with a 70–64 win over Kano Pillars. It was a hard-fought game, and captain David Godwin rose to the occasion with 22 points to lift his team into the Final Four.

In the next match, Nile University faced Lagos Legends in a battle that started evenly but quickly tilted in favour of the Legends. Nile played solid defence in the second quarter by blocking shots and forcing steals, but they could not turn those efforts into baskets. The Legends took advantage in the third quarter and pulled away for a 93–63 win. Patrick Abah was outstanding with 20 points and showed great energy as he drove into the paint and finished strongly.

The last match of the day saw Rivers Hoopers defeat Kwara Falcons 83–69. The Falcons started with determination and played with pride despite having no wins in the tournament, but the Hoopers proved too strong in the end.

Lagos Legends and Rivers Hoopers finished on top of the standings with six wins and one loss each, while Gboko City Chiefs followed with five wins. Nigeria Customs claimed the last spot ahead of Kano Pillars and Nile University Spartans.

The Final Four will take place in Port Harcourt from November 20 to 24, 2025, and it will determine the 2025 NPBL champions and Nigeria’s representative at the 2026 Basketball Africa League.