The University of Jos (UNIJOS) male basketball team produced a remarkable display of grit and unity to defeat Benue State University (BSU) 81–51 in their opening game at the 27th Nigerian University Games (NUGA), despite fielding only five players throughout the match.
The electrifying encounter, played before a passionate home crowd, saw UNIJOS defy fatigue and limited options on the bench after facing accreditation delays that ruled out several of their key players.
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Team captain, Henry Bakle, credited the team’s resilience and cohesion for the emphatic win.
“We trusted each other. There is passion, there is talent — we pushed and gave our best, and God helped us. This win is the result of hard work and unity, even without substitutes,” he told Campulse News.
Despite UNIJOS’s dominance, BSU’s captain, Gbenda Sinclair, voiced his displeasure over what he described as poor officiating.
“We started strong, but the officiating affected our morale. The referee ignored several fouls committed by UNIJOS players. It was not a fair game,” he protested, while vowing that his side would “regroup and come back stronger” in their next outing.
However, Muawiyya Musa, an official observer from Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu University, Kano, dismissed the complaints, maintaining that the officiating adhered to standard procedures and that “the better team won.”
With the victory, UNIJOS has sent a strong message to their rivals and will look to build on their impressive start as the basketball fixtures continue later this week.
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