D’Tigers rave of the moment, Benjamin Emelogu has attributed his sterling display against Mali to the immense support from the coaching staff and his team mates.
Emelogu who recorded 18points from 6 made three pointers from 10 attempts said the license to shoot gave him the confidence to do what he knows how to do best on the court.
Speaking with journalists in Kigali as the team prepares for their next group game against Kenya, Emelogu who hails from Abia state said, “That is what I do. I shoot the ball at a high level. My teammates and coaches gave me confidence and freedom to shoot the ball, go out there and have fun. So I just went out there and every shot I had that were good shots, I took it and it paid off.”
The Shooting Guard who got attracted to Nigerian basketball while watching Ike Diogu, Chamberlain Oguchi and Al Farouq Aminu is confident that the team will continue to improve with every match while setting his target on bringing the cup home to Nigeria.
Despite the team not being rated amongst the tallest and most physical teams at the Afrobasket championship, they still out-rebounded the Malians 45-37.
He explained that despite their sizes, they have mastered the act of taking good shots within the motion offence which are easier to rebound.
“They got size, but we have got speed and we have athletic players too. If we take good shots, it gives us a better chance of rebounding. We played Mali yesterday but we out-rebounded them and I think for the most part, it was because of our energy and efforts and we took good shots for the most part.”
A very confident Emelogu still buoyed by his display said winning the Afrobasket title is not out of reach.
