By SAMUEL LUKHANDA –
THE Sprite Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) 2015 national championships start tomorrow at the quarter-final stage with the B league teams opening proceedings before big guns join the fray.
Friday’s games will see Ndola Takers play Mansa Select at the Don Bosco courts in Chingola as Solwezi Panthers  do battle with Don Bosco. Fixtures in Lusaka will see EHC Nishati Denvers play Intrepid Bulls prior to ZCAS Blazers taking on Matero Magic-B.
Perennial favourites UNZA Pacers and Matero Magic are expected to go the distance but they have to be wary of the Northern Division champions Lunga Bullets, who have dominated the north league without much sweat.
This Zambian Breweries sponsored championship will pit four teams from the south against four from the north. For the B league, the best four teams from the north slug it out for two spots in the semis against rivals from the north.
The playoffs will be on a two game series meaning that the team that wins both or in case of a tie, higher on points tally, advances to the semi-finals.
Pacers play Ndola Nets on Saturday before Green Buffaloes face CBU Comets while the women’s category will see UNZA Honeys entertain Chingola Sparks with Shells primed to stop Lunga Woosters in the other fixture.
On the Copperbelt, the action will be at Don Bosco courts in Chingola on Saturday it will then shift to CBU courts on Sunday where  Matero Magic look set to hypnotise the CEC Cavaliers.
The closest game probably in these match-ups will be between Hawks and Lunga Bullets, while the women’s category will see LCC Lootresses play CEC Queens and NAPSA Breeze up against the north champions CBU Robins.