TheCable

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) defeated Cameroon’s Universite de Douala 57-46 in the opening game of the first-ever African Women’s Basketball League (AWBL).

NCS outclassed the Cameroonians in a topsy-turvy encounter at the Sporting Club Alexandria, Egypt, on Monday.

Nigeria Customs, nicknamed the Border Girls, had qualified for the maiden edition of the AWBL after winning the FIBA Africa Zone 3 competition earlier this month.

NCS continued the impeccable form when they squared up Douala and raced to a 12-11 lead in the first quarter.

The Border Girls widened the gap in the second quarter and were ahead of their opponents by 32-19 at halftime.

The Cameroonians began the third quarter with renewed vim and hustled NCS to chisel down the lead to 48-37.

Nigeria Customs held their opponents back in the fourth and final quarter to register a historic 9-point in the team’s first-ever AWBL outing.

Nkem Akaraiwe led the NCS with 20 points and 19 rebounds, followed by Tomi Taiwo with 14 points and four rebounds.

The Border Girls are billed to play Kenya Port Authority (KPA) in their second group match on Wednesday.

The Nigerians are Group A of the competition alongside Alexandria Sporting of Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s CNSS, Cameroon’s Universite de Douala and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

The newly launched AWBL is scheduled to hold from December 11 to 19.