Rivers Hoopers weathered an early surge from Kano Pillars to earn a nerve-racking 69-57 victory on day two of the ongoing 2025 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight Playoffs to keep their chase for a third straight league title on track. Having enjoyed an explosive start during their 73-50 victory over Hoops & Read on day one, the KingsMen found themselves in unfamiliar territory as Kano Pillars flipped the script to race into a 10-3 lead inside the opening five minutes of the game. Rivers Hoopers Head Coach Ogoh Odaudu was unimpressed with his side’s slow start and quickly rang changes, replacing his starting five with fresh hands from the bench to breathe some much-needed energy into the game. That proved to be a masterstroke as the KingsMen took the fight to Kano Pillars to reduce what was at one moment an eleven-point deficit (14-3) to a three-point gap as the first quarter ended 15-12. The hosts maintained the energy as the game swung back and forth in the second quarter and took the lead for the first time when Peter Olisemeka slammed a dunk with just over five minutes until halftime. Pillars attempted to regain control of the game, but Rivers Hoopers maintained their lead at 32-29 at the half. The KingsMen returned from the break with the same energy and produced a series of brilliant plays, much to the delight of the Port Harcourt crowd, which cheered for every bucket, as the lead stretched to five points at 49-44. The defending champions finished strong by scoring twenty points in the fourth quarter while allowing their opponents thirteen, as the final score was 69-57. It was a game which was both electrifying and full of intensity and enjoyed by not only the spectators but also Odaudu. “I extremely enjoyed the game. [It was] very, very interesting. You’ll think it’s just the spectators who enjoy the game. Of course I enjoyed the back-and-forth, to see what the other coach comes up with, and to think of how to go against it and all that. It was really exciting for us. I really enjoyed the game. [And] I think it was one of the best games so far in the Final Eight,” he admitted. Victor Sunday (nicknamed Tilo) scored a game-high seventeen points, as Peter Olisemeka recorded a near triple double with nine points as well as thirteen rebounds, and John Idoga scored nine points along with seven rebounds. Despite the win, which was their second straight victory at this year’s Final Eight Playoffs, Odaudu was concerned by his team’s slow start to the game. “I think the players were just laid back, [and it is] something that I have to work on. They have this feeling that [because] we are playing at home, we are going to run over everybody, and actually that is not the case. So, it’s something that we’re going to keep hammering at them, and hoping that they pick up before we get to the finals,” he stressed. The 2024 Basketball Africa League Coach of the Year, however, showered some praise on his players for upping their game and taking control of the match. “With the amount of threes that we shot yesterday, I knew we were going to be in trouble because it’s difficult to come back and shoot the same amount of threes back-to-back, playing the same way. But luckily for us, players like Tilo stepped up, Favour [Komene] came up with aggressive defense, and we took the day. We’re still not at our best yet, but we’ll get better day by day.” Up next for Rivers Hoopers is a date with Nigeria Customs by 5pm on Wednesday, 29th October, 2025. Day 3 – Wednesday, 29th October 11:00am: Kwara Falcons vs Hoops & Read 1:00pm: Lagos Legends vs Gboko City Chiefs 3:00pm: Nile University vs Kano Pillars 5:00pm: Rivers Hoopers vs Nigeria Customs All games will be played at the Basketball Stadium, #59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
