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Mzingaye Sibanda Sports Reporter
MAVERICKS’ men were crowned Bulawayo Basketball League champions after beating Highlanders 52-44 in a title decider  on Saturday.
The curtain was brought down in style as Mavericks had to fight to the wire for glory.
Highlanders went to the match determined for a win which could have seen them win the title.
They were the season’s favourites after leading for 17 weeks but they blew their chances in the second last game which saw them losing to Giants and Mavericks and being relegated to third position.

Mavericks went to the encounter at the top with 25 points just a point above their rivals Highlanders.
Champions Mavericks finished the season on 27 points while Giants are second on 25 points tied with Highlanders.

Bulawayo Basketball League fixtures secretary Handsome Ncube confirmed that the season is over.
“The season is over, the clash between Highlanders and Mavericks was the last game. It was an entertaining encounter as it was a title decider,” said Ncube.
He said the tie was a closely fought affair between the two Bulawayo giants.

“The first quarter was balanced, but Mavericks managed to come strong in the last quarter, it showed that they had the real desire to maintain their lead on top,” said Ncube.

In the women’s league, Lakers were crowned champions last weekend ahead of their rivals Mavericks who finished second in a contest involving two teams.
Lakers ended their season with 24 points while Mavericks were two points behind.

Ncube said it was a good season despite facing challenges that saw other teams pulling out along the way due to financial challenges.
“It was a good season in general, but we faced challenges that other teams had to pull out due to finance, in terms of competition it was a tight contest especially among men,” he said.

Teams will now shift focus and start preparations for the Zimbabwe National Basketball Championships set for Gweru on Easter Holidays.