Reserve Forward Emmanuel Evans Anfom climbed off the bench to score 15 points and grab six rebounds as the Tudu Warriors erased an 8 point deficit to beat the Nima Vipers 54-43 in a fifth week encounter in the Rush Community Basketball League in Accra on Sunday.
The Warriors youngster produced a riveting display and played a vital role in Tudu’s game-changing third quarter where the team went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to just a point heading into the last quarter of the game.
His infectious plays drew the attention of all gathered courtside at Accra Polytechnic Court which was unsurprisingly packed with fans from both teams.
Unlike prior games, Nima took control of the game by scoring a pair of 3-pointers early in the first quarter.
In their last game against Korle-Bu Kings, Nima was without 2015 Most Valuable Player Mutalib Alhassan and Small Forward Farahat Aliu Tamimu due to national call ups. However, both could not stop the onslaught from Tudu’s bench.
After surrendering the lead, the Vipers did not show enough mental toughness to get back in the game as they wilted under the pressure of losing a second straight defeat in the competition.
A jittery start from both sides prompted Vipers Coach Abeiku Solomon to call a timeout where he was seen gesturing to his players to calm down. They responded by double teaming the Warriors and scored through Farahat to end the first quarter 11-7 winners.
Unable to finish from good scoring spots on the floor, Tudu Warriors fell further behind Nima but slimmed Nima’s lead down to a point (35-34) close to the end of the third quarter on the back of Evans Anfom’s inspired play.
The Warriors took the lead off an offensive rebound and proceeded to take advantage of Nima’s wild shot selections.
