First Bank, Royal Aces Shine As Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Final Eight Tips Off
By AUGUSTUS ISICHEI
THE 2025 Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Basketball Final Eight began on Tuesday with intense battles across the courts, as First Bank of Lagos, Royal Aces, Titans, and Dolphins all secured opening-day victories.
In the first fixture, First Bank of Lagos overpowered Bayelsa Blue Whales 53-36. Bayelsa held their own in the opening two quarters, trailing narrowly 10-11 and 10-13, with First Bank leading 24-20 at half-time. However, the Lagos side switched gears in the second half, dominating the third quarter 17-7 and closing out 12-9 in the fourth to claim a comfortable win.
Royal Aces delivered the day’s most dramatic finish, edging Air Warriors 54-52. Air Warriors had held a seven-point cushion late in the game, but Royal Aces staged a comeback, forcing a 52-52 tie before snatching victory in the dying seconds.
Elsewhere, Titans Basketball Club overcame Nigeria Customs in a tight contest, winning 51-47, while Dolphins Basketball Club of Lagos also battled past Mountain of Fire Miracles (MFM) with an identical 51-47 scoreline.
Meanwhile, tournament sponsor Zenith Bank PLC announced a prize pool of ₦15.5 million for the finalists. The overall champions will take home ₦7.5 million, runners-up ₦5 million, and third place ₦3 million. Atlantic and Savannah Conference winners will also pocket ₦1 million each, while individual awardees, including the MVP, will receive ₦500,000.
The competition, organized by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), continues this week as teams battle for supremacy and the lion’s share of the prize money.
