CSA will always wonder how they blew up a 10-point lead, and more importantly, how they let the game slip from their hands with less than four minutes to go. The 30-12 First Bank blowout in the last quarter will forever haunt the Abidjan-based team.
Last Updated on
November 22, 2025
The WBLA Zone 3 qualifiers opened with a contest that unfolded like a slow burn: The 2025 Zenith Bank Basketball League champions, First Bank, waited until the final quarter to flip the script on CSA of Côted'Ivoire, eventually prevailing 66–55 after a four-quarter swing that featured three lead changes and a late offensive eruption.
The hosts came out sharper. CSA dictated the pace early, closing the first quarter 16–9 behind sound ball movement and an active defence that forced the bankers into rushed possessions.
First Bank looked tentative offensively, settling for contested jumpers and struggling to find rhythm against a well-drilled Ivorian half-court scheme. The Elephant Girls' early deficit stemmed from missed looks and a thin rotation, and by the end of the first stanza, the Nigerian visitors were playing catch-up.
First Bank steadied in the second quarter, chipping away with cleaner execution. The Bankers outscored CSA 14–13 in the period, trimming the margin through better ball circulation and quicker closeouts on defence.
Momoluwa Tewogbade provided backcourt energy, adding timely baskets off drives and finishing the half with 13 points in limited minutes (17:41). The halftime break left FirstBank trailing but visibly more composed, having reduced the gap and shown signs that their offence could click if they kept possessions disciplined.
The third quarter proved to be a dogfight. Both teams traded baskets in a physical, tightly contested period that ended 14–13 in favour of CSA. Neither side could seize sustained momentum; rebounds and turnovers were decisive, and the scoreboard reflected the tug-of-war.
CSA’s composure in crunch situations kept them ahead heading into the final period. At the same time, FirstBank’s thin roster, a nine-player rotation that forced coach Julie Negedu and assistant Seun Akinwale to manage minutes carefully, meant every substitution mattered. The stage was set for a decisive fourth.
It all came down to the final strip. Things were looking suitable for CSA, who still had their hands on the game, though First Bank was gunning for victory.
And with 3:50 remaining in the fourth, Wandoo Hembam delivered the turning point: a cold-blooded three-pointer that put First Bank ahead for the second time in the game. That bucket ignited a blistering finish.
The Bankers poured in 30 points in the quarter to CSA’s 12, turning a tight contest into a comfortable victory. Hembam finished a game-high 24 points, adding three rebounds and four assists for an efficiency rating of 22, he standout performance that swung the tie. First Bank’s final-period intensity, combined with improved rebounding and fewer defensive lapses, overwhelmed the Ivorian side.
Hembam’s late heroics and Tewogbade’s efficient spark were pivotal for First Bank; both players masked the limitations of a short bench. For CSA, Hanna Amani and Ndeye Seneled the scoring with 11 points apiece but couldn’t stem the tide in the fourth. Coach Aboulaye Lucien Coulibaly will have to reassess late-game tactics and ball security after a game that featured multiple lead changes and ultimately turned on a single long-range make.
In the end, FirstBank’s patience and late-game execution yielded a statement win, a lesson in how a quiet start can still produce a loud finish.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA/WBLA]
