CivPac Amesii defeated Tribes Coffee to defend PEB title

The CivPac Amesii retained their title after a 68-58 triumph over the Tribes Coffee in the Port Moresby Elite Basketball (PEB) Men’s Grand Final yesterday evening (31st August 2025) at the Sir John Guise Stadium Indoor Complex. 

Amesii and Tribes Coffee met in the PEB’s inaugural grand final last season, where the CivPac-sponsored club claimed the maiden competition. The title holders came back with all guns blazing in the 2025 season and defended their title. 

With no love lost between these two sides, this match-up was predicted to be a thrilling contest, which certainly lived up to its billing. The Tribes Coffee finished the season strong and walked away with the minor premiership, but fell short of claiming the bragging rights. 

The eventual champions, led by point guard Anderson Hewe and forward Moses Lune, were instrumental in Amesii’s championship success, which saw them have a steady lead from the opening quarter until the last quarter to seal the deal. Augustine Kaupa, Enoch Raka, Harold Elavo Jr. and Malipu Peter also complemented Hewe and Lune well.

On the contrary, the Tribes Coffee were trailing closely in the four intensely-contested quarters under the leadership of skipper Collin Pine, backed by Apia Muri, Cornelius Muri, Allan Millard, Jesse Pine, Eddie Moses, Emmanuel Parapa, and Solira Nondi. Tribes Coffee almost stole the win in the dying minutes, but the Amesii side held firm to close out the game. 

Seasoned basketballer, Moses Lune, was in his element on both ends of the court, stacking up the statistics sheet and asserting his dominance. Lune walked away with the Finals MVP, including the season MVP, and made the five-man All-Star squad.

While the CivPac Amesii anticipate making a three-peat next season, the Tribes Coffee are hungrier to snap their two-year championship drought and snatch the elusive silverware from the back-to-back PEB champions.

Meanwhile, in the women’s grand final, the rookie team WB Transport Kutubu Lakers made a grand entrance this season and took the competition by storm, edging the CivPac Amesii with a 71-63 victory to become the new Queens of PEB.  

In addition, both Amesii and Lakers won K30,000 respectively, while the runners-up (Tribes Coffee & Amesii) scooped K15,000 each. All the participating teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions also received K2,000 consolation prize money each. 

PEB Director Lawrence Lahari acknowledged the major sponsor ExxonMobil PNG, including the Kumul Minerals Holdings Limited (KMHL), and other minor sponsors for making the 2025 season successful.

Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea (BFPNG) President David Peter also thanked the sponsors and the PEB executives, including the participating teams, for delivering another successful season, assuring his fullest support next year. 

Prime Minister James Marape, BFPNG Patron Charles Abel, PEB Patron David Wereh, a representative from ExxonMobil PNG, and other distinguished guests were in attendance to witness the best of Port Moresby basketball players locking horns and battling for supremacy. 

Just under two years of existence, the Port Moresby Elite Basketball competition has already made inroads, aspiring to showcase the talented basketballers not only in the nation’s capital but across the country.