Zenith Bank Basketball League: Dolphins beat First Bank to emerge 2025 champions

Pius Ayinor

Dolphins’ women secured their second national basketball title in style after beating First Bank 61-55 on Saturday in a game worthy of every wait and cash spent on the game. The final match of the Zenith Bank/NBBF Basketball League punched into overtime at the National Stadium.

It was one of the most contested games in Nigerian basketball as the Dolphins had to dig deep in overtime to beat First Bank. The regular time result stood at 53-53.

The new champions won the first and second quarters and were heading to a straight win as they led their opponents with 12 points with less than four minutes left. The First Bank players looked more timed than Dolphins in the last quarter but the nine-time champions fought to tie the game. The Elephant Girls got an opportunity to win the match with just 40 seconds left but the long range shot brushed off the rim. The extra five minutes eventually made the difference.

MFM defeated Royal Aces in the third place match by 70-42 just before the final match got the jump ball.

 The final game and closing ceremony had in attendance the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Musa Kida, and the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko.

The sponsors team was led by the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank PlC, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji. The official tipoff was done by her.

The Zenith Bank’s Executive Director, Mrs. Adobi Stella Nwapa who stood in for the GMD/CEO, after she after the venue for another function , the organization was impressed with how the 2025 finals. She then made a promise of a better package for the 2026 edition when the Nigeria Basketball Federation and Zenith Bank partnership will celebrate the 20th anniversary.

She said, “As the sole sponsor of this event, you can see how the event has transformed. The price money increase is now N15.5m.

“We were able to go live through livestreams of all the games and people in America, especially the African champions, D’Tigress. So we are happy with the outcome and everything that happened from start till end.”

Dophins and First Bank as champions and runners up automatically qualified for the continental Basketball Africa League.

Champions Dolphins got N7.5m as champions.