At the ongoing Mark ‘D’ Ball Men’s Basketball Championship, Mo’ Heat Basketball Club of Abuja on Saturday defeated Kano Pillars 74-70 to advance into the final match.

The club won the semi-final match in the competition holding at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja to remain unbeaten.

Mo’ Heat led after the first quarter which they won 20-18, before Kano Pillars snatched the lead in the second quarter which ended 38-36.

Mo’ Heat fought back but failed to overturn the game, leaving Kano Pillars to extend their lead by the end of the third quarter 60-55.

The fourth quarter was the toughest as it brought out the best in both teams, before Mo’ Heat finally got a breakthrough to snatch victory.

For the winners, Francis Ajulufo had the highest points of 14, followed by both Victor Koko and Johnson Anaye who had 13 points each.

Chinedu Chimbou had 16 points, while Eli Abraham 14 points for Kano Pillars.

Mo’ Heat will face either Gombe Bulls or Nigeria Customs Service who face off in the second semi-final match of the competition.

Speaking after their win, the coach of Mo’ Heat, Adeka Daudu, said they were now looking forward to their next opponents.

“It was really a tough game and the Kano Pillars played tremendously. They have a lot of experienced players, and they have been Nigerian champions in basketball for a while.

“They also have a well-experienced coach who used to be my coach,” he said.

Mo’ Heat have gone a total of 14 games unbeaten since the start of the tournament on February 6.

The competition which returned with the “Elite Eight” stage on Wednesday saw eight teams divided into two groups, with two best teams from each group heading into the semi-finals.

The final match will be played on Sunday to determine the winners of the championship.

(NAN)