Monrovia – The head coach of the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) female division defending champions, Commissioner Varney Williams, has described his side’s convincing victory over Future Spartans as a strong warning to the rest of their opponents in the league.
By Macaulay A. Sombai, [email protected]
Coach Williams, speaking on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Samuel Kayan Doe Sports Complex gymnasium after his team scored a 97-14 point victory against Future Spartans in the opening game of the LBA 2024 national league, said they are ready to defend their title.
“My athletes’ 97-14 point victory against Future Spartans is a clear manifestation to the rest of our opponents that indeed we are well-prepared to maintain our championship title, and I can assure our fans that we are not going to leave any stone unturned until we are crowned champions,” Williams said.
He called on his athletes to maintain their tactical ball possession with convincing finishing touches and good behavior both on and off the ball.
The captain of Future Spartans, Grace Bolay, attributed her side’s defeat to their poor ball control and finishing touches and apologized to their supporters but assured them of victory in their next game.
“We all failed to make use of the several basket chances we had in the four quarters battle against Commissioners, and I want to say sorry to our supporters, but I can assure them of victory in our next game,” she stated.
In other results in the LBA league, Bushrod Ballers defeated King George Knights 42-38 in the day’s second division clash, while Invincible Eleven (IE) walked away with a free 20 points after Visionary failed to honor their game against the yellow boys.
In today’s Monday, March 11, 2024, encounters, Highway King will battle against Vision Shooters in the first game, Kardinals will face Spartacus in the second division, while LTC Bushrod Bulls will tackle Barnesville Dragons in the first division.
Meanwhile, the president of the Liberia Basketball Association, Abraham Samukai, described the resumption of the 2024 national league and Liberia’s return to international basketball competitions as timely. He assured officials of each of the registered teams of his administration’s fullest support but called on them to ensure that their athletes follow the rules of the game both on and off the court.
Mr. Samukai said, “The return of our association to international basketball is a clear sign of my administration’s preparedness to move our national league forward so that our athletes will be able to represent our country in international basketball competitions.”