By Peace Onyekwelu, Temiloluwa Erinle
(LASU male basketball team celebrating their gold victory. Image Credit: FASU)
The male basketball team of Lagos State University (LASU) won the gold medal of the basketball event in the 2024 FASU Games. The co-host and victors defeated Nile University 73 – 68 in the final stage of the tournament, on Saturday, September 28, to reach the top spot.
Meanwhile co-host, University of Lagos (UNILAG), couldn’t snatch bronze as they lost a closely fought third-place decider against Université Général Lansana Contè de Sonfonia (UGLCS) — UGLCS beat UNILAG 70-71.
Remarkably, UGLCS had beaten UNILAG in their first basketball game 67-66 during the group stage, coming from behind to steal a victory. The UNILAG team will be assessing their luck for conceding an eerily close battle, twice.
The basketball event – which saw UNILAG and Nile University lose their first games – started on Sunday, September 22. Nile University male basketball team had built a reputation for court dominance in the National University Games Association (NUGA) Games, 2022, also hosted by UNILAG. Thumping opponent by opponent, they blazed an indisputable path to gold in the 2022 tournament.
In this just concluded one, they rose and fell, conceding and responding harshly (they beat UGLCS 93-45) and conceding, showing the signs of a fading empire. The ruthlessness of the Nile Spartans will be sorely missed.
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