Dolphins suffer second straight loss as IGP Queens edge champions

Posted : 07 September 2026

Defending champions Dolphins were edged 48-46 by IGP Queens in a closely fought Matchday 2 encounter of the second phase of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

The narrow defeat left Dolphins searching for their first victory of the second phase after losing their opening two games, increasing the pressure on the champions to quickly rediscover their form.

IGP Queens established the early initiative, taking the opening quarter 13-9 as Dolphins struggled to settle into the contest.

The champions responded in the second quarter, improving defensively to restrict their opponents to six points while scoring eight of their own to reduce the deficit to 19-17 at halftime.

Dolphins then produced their strongest period of the game after the interval, stepping up their intensity to outscore IGP Queens 16-10 in the third quarter and take a 33-29 lead into the final period.

However, the lead proved insufficient as IGP Queens remained composed in the closing stages. Both teams scored 11 points in the final quarter, but the Queens held on to secure a two-point victory.

Dolphins Head Coach Okechukwu Ottah described the defeat as painful but said the team must remain united and use the experience to improve.

“As a coach, I'm really, to be honest, really sad and devastated, so are the players. But at the end of the day, I still need to be with my players. We're a team. I can't distance myself from being a team and be a coach and they're the players,” Ottah said.

The coach acknowledged that Dolphins are currently undergoing a rebuilding process and need more time to develop cohesion both on and off the court.

“We're trying to recoup ourselves and understand ourselves more better on and off the court. So, it's a rebuilding phase for us, and I know that our loss today was really a hard one for us to swallow,” he added.

With the defending champions now facing an uphill task in the second phase, Ottah said the technical crew would use the setbacks to identify weaknesses and make the necessary corrections.

“We need to look at ourselves and be like, okay, what did we not do well in the two games we have lost?

“What do we have to do the rest of the games that we have? That is what we have discussed with the team, and we are good and we are ready to go into the next game,” he said.

Dolphins will now look to end their losing run in their next fixture and begin rebuilding the momentum needed to keep their title defence alive.

Dolphins suffer second straight loss as IGP Queens edge champions

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