{
  "id": 10817654,
  "title": "Elephant Ladies Win Opening Game of Zenith Bank League Final 8 Showdown",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/elephant-ladies-win-opening-game-of-zenith-bank-league-final-8",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T00:48:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/30/elephant-ladies-win-opening-game-of-zenith-bank-league-final-8-showdown/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The First Bank Women Basketball Club, also known as the Elephant Ladies, secured a convincing opening win in the Final 8 of the 2026 NBBF/Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League. They defeated the Victoria Queens 68-57 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday. Both teams, from the Atlantic Conference, had each won one game in the first and second phases of the league, making this match a highly anticipated opener. The Elephant Ladies took control in the first three quarters, winning with scores of 19-14, 16-7, and 21-11. However, the Victoria Queens staged a strong comeback in the final quarter, winning 25-12, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory against the experienced First Bank side. This result gives the Elephant Ladies an early edge in their pursuit to reclaim the title, while the Victoria Queens will need to quickly rebound to stay in the running. Other matches were still in progress at the time of the report, with the fight to unseat the defending champions Dolphins set to continue. The first game of the day will see the Bayelsa Blue Whales take on the Aso Sky Queens, followed by the Victoria Queens facing the high-flying Nigeria Customs. First Bank will play against Air Warriors, and MFM will face Titans in the final game of the day.",
  "summary": "Record winners, First Bank Women Basketball Club (Elephant Ladies) recorded a winning start to the Final 8 of the 2026 NBBF/Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League, defeating newcomers Victoria Queens 68-57 on",
  "key_points": [
    "Elephant Ladies defeat Victoria Queens 68-57 in Final 8 opener",
    "First Bank Women Basketball Club wins 3-0 in first three quarters",
    "Victoria Queens stage strong comeback but fail to secure win"
  ],
  "editors_take": "This win gives the Elephant Ladies an early advantage in their bid to reclaim the title, while putting pressure on the Victoria Queens to bounce back quickly to stay in contention.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}