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Tag: Rivers Hoopers

Rivers Hoopers Go Two Fot Two in Phase Two With Kwara Falcons Rout

Fola Badmus04 mins

Rivers Hoopers rode a wave of pinpoint shooting from deep to outclass Kwara Falcons 81-61 on Day Three of the ongoing 2025 Nigeria Basketball Premier League (NBPL) Phase Two on Tuesday. Kwara Falcons started hot, drilling back-to-back threes to take an early lead, but once Rivers Hoopers erased a four-point gap to tie the game at 13-13, there was no going back as the KingsMen scored four more to end the first quarter 17-13. With the defending champions well settled into the game, it didn’t take much time before the team got the crowd rocking in the second quarter. Mustapha Oyebanji scored fourteen (14) of his team-leading eighteen (18) points in the second quarter, shooting four threes to feed the frenzy, as the KingsMen took a fourteen-point lead with the score at 44-30 heading into the halftime break. The team scored five (5) threes in the second quarter and four (4) in the fourth for a total of twelve (12) overall (the highest total managed by a team in a single game at the ongoing NBPL Atlantic Conference Phase Two). At the end of the third quarter, the hosts had opened up a twenty-two-point advantage, much to the delight of the energetic crowd, and kept up the tempo to close out the game at 81-61. Amongst four KingsMen who hit double figures, Favour Komene had a memorable night as the youngster notched fourteen (14) points, with each of his four (4) threes cheered on by the crowd. Captain Victor Koko scored thirteen (13) points, and John Idoga added eleven (11). In the end, the defending champions put up a performance which was well pleasing, not only to the fans but also to Assistant Coach Ronald Alalibo. “I’m pleased, because when you make a mistake, you go back to the drawing board, you see the kind of adjustments you want to make, and you try as much as possible to effect those adjustments to enable you to perform better. “So far so good; it’s a learning process. Even in this game that we won, we still saw some mistakes that we made, and we’ll go back to the drawing board to make some more adjustments moving forward because we have to get better each game,” he said. Rivers Hoopers next play Comets by 5pm on Wednesday and will look to make it three wins from three Phase Two games.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers Ready for Playoffs

Fola Badmus05 mins

Rivers Hoopers’ Coach Ogoh Odaudu is optimistic about securing a playoff berth after the group phase of the 2025 NBPL season, with a focus on preparing for the Inter-Group Phase and potential roster additions. Days to the commencement of the second phase of the 2025 Nigeria Basketball Premier League (NBPL) season, Rivers Hoopers Head Coach Ogoh Odaudu has set his sights on reaching the playoffs. Phase one (Group Phase) of the 2025 NBPL season (which is structured to run in four phases: Group, Inter-Group, Playoff, and Final Four) drew to a close on 3 September, with Phase two (Inter-Group Phase) set to begin on 24 September. During the group phase of the 2025 NBPL season, Rivers Hoopers were limited to a less than ideal two games as Delta Force and Oluyole Warriors elected against participating in the league, leaving the KingsMen and Kwara Falcons as the only teams in the Atlantic Conference Group B. However, after a three-week break, during which period the KingsMen have engaged in intense training and friendlies, Odaudu believes his team is adequately prepared for Phase Two. “The first phase has come and gone. Unfortunately we didn’t get to play the number of matches that we wanted to play. But during the break we’ve been really busy. We’ve played a couple of friendly matches, and we’re still going to play another [friendly] on Wednesday. So, I think with all put in place, we should be ready for the second phase.” The second phase will see Rivers Hoopers play against more opponents, such as Comets, Lagos Legends, as well as Hoops & Reeds, who all took part in Group A of the Atlantic Conference, link up with the KingsMen and Kwara Falcons (Group B) at the Indoor Basketball Court, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township, for the Inter-Group games. More teams means more games, and ultimately more players to execute, with Odaudu suggesting the KingsMen will look to make a few additions for a more balanced roster before Phase Two begins. He said, “We had only eleven people who played the first two games. We’re expecting four more people to join us by the second phase, and of course, they should be on ground before jumpball.” After winning back-to-back league titles and also finishing third at the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL), the KingsMen have been touted as strong favourites for the 2025 NBPL title. But Odaudu remains modest in his expectations, as he revealed his team’s immediate target remains a place in the playoffs (last eight). “This is all qualification for us. We just want to make it to the Final Eight for now and then see how we continue from there. The expectation for phase two is to make sure we’re one of the top four teams who will make it to the next round, that is, the final eight, some time next month,” he pointed out. The Inter-Group Phase is scheduled for 24 September – 5 October and will once again see Port Harcourt play host, as all teams in the Atlantic Conference converge at the Indoor Basketball Court, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township. Meanwhile, teams from the Savannah Conference are expected to meet at the National Indoor Sports Hall, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State, with venues for the Playoffs and Final Four yet to be named.

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2025 NBPL Gets Tip-Off Date as Rivers Hoopers Seek Three-Peat

Fola Badmus03 mins

Reigning Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) champions Rivers Hoopers BC will be among a total of sixteen teams to vie for the 2025 NBPL title. According to an official communiqué signed by League Chairman Babatunde Ogunade and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Secretary General Amina O. Amanchi, action at the 2025 NBPL is scheduled to run from 28 August – 16 November. This will be preceded by a registration period between 11-28 August. The 2025 NBPL is structured to run in four phases (Group, Inter-Group, Playoff, and Final Four), as the sixteen (16) participating teams have been divided into four (4) groups of four (4) teams each across Savannah and Atlantic Conferences (2 groups per Conference), with games to be staged at yet to be named venues. Defending champions Rivers Hoopers have been paired alongside Delta Force, Oluyole Warriors, and Kwara Falcons in Group B of the Atlantic Conference, with Group A consisting of Comets, Police Batons, Lagos Legends, as well as Hoops & Read. In the Savannah Conference, Nile University, Nigeria Customs, Gboko City Chiefs, and Correctional Service make up Group A, while Group B houses Kano Pillars, Plateau Peaks, Gombe Bulls, and Bauchi Nets. Each team is expected to play six (6) games against the other three (3) teams during the Group stage (home & away basis), after which all eight (8) teams (Group A & Group B) from each Conference will meet at a central venue for the Inter-Group Stage. During the Inter-Group Stage each team will play seven (7) games (one against each of the other teams). The top four (4) teams from each Conference (making a total of 8 teams) will then converge for the Playoffs Round which will be played in a knockout format. The Final Four teams will play each other once in a round robin format, with the team accruing the highest points tally after that, crowned 2025 NBPL Champions. Recall that Rivers Hoopers won their sixth league title by defeating Hoops & Read 71-54 in the playoff final of the 2024 NBPL season last November, and will look to retain their crown for the third straight year.

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Basketball Africa League Season Five Was ‘Bitterwsweet’ Says Odaudu

Fola Badmus06 mins

Just over two weeks after their quarter-final exit at the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Season five, Head Coach of Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers, Ogoh Odaudu has shed some light about what went wrong during the team’s outing in Pretoria, South Africa. Having recorded a 4-2 win-loss ratio from the Kalahari Conference phase, the six-time Nigerian Basketball League champions entered the BAL Season five Playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa, as the fourth ranked team and full of optimism to better their achievements from previous appearances. However, consecutive losses to Tunisian outfit US Monastir in a seeding game (89-81), and Rwanda’s APR in the quarter-finals (104-73) meant the KingsMen exited the tournament earlier than expected. Speaking for the first time since their BAL Season five journey, Odaudu reflected on the team’s experience through the tournament, describing it as “bittersweet”. “BAL Season five was both good and bad. It was fantastic when we went to Morocco, we did everything right; Won the games we were supposed to and came second in the conference. However, in Pretoria, things fell apart. Some players fell sick, the chemistry we thought we had, we just didn’t show up. So it was kind of bittersweet at the same time. But in all, we give God all the glory.” he said. For the first time since its inaugural edition, the BAL Playoffs moved from Kigali’s BK Arena to the SunBet Arena in Pretoria. Having played at both venues, the seasoned basketball tactician commended the facility and atmosphere at the Season five Playoffs. “It doesn’t matter where you play the playoffs, whether it’s in Pretoria or in Kigali, it’s the same thing. It’s still basketball. The crowd in Pretoria was really energetic. I think they were both similar as regards their support for basketball, so it was good. And then the facilities were also top-notch,” he added. Rivers Hoopers made history by becoming the first (and only) Nigerian team to score a podium finish at Africa’s club basketball showpiece, when they finished third during BAL Season four, but fell short of matching that feat a year later. While dismissing any notion that the team was perhaps not up for the challenge in Pretoria, Odaudu shed some light on what went wrong for the KingsMen. “What went wrong? It was just one of those days. We just didn’t have a good final and I don’t think it’s anything unusual. There are teams who are bigger, who have been older and who have been there more times than us, who were sent packing the next day too.” he stated. He further explained that key members of the team had caught a bug just before the team’s quarter-final meeting with Rwanda’s APR, which limited their overall performance. “The actual fact was that most of the team fell sick in Pretoria. We were just barely managing with what we had. We were all ready for the BAL. We all arrived on time, we all practiced hard, but then the virus or something that started within the team was a major contributing factor [to our early exit],” he stressed. The veteran Nigerian coach however pointed out that his side will look to make the most of their BAL Season five experience in order to return to the podium at Africa’s premier club basketball tournament. “Like I said, we didn’t have a good [showing at the] playoffs this year but we are hoping to bounce back and learn from all the mistakes that we did [in Pretoria].”

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“Too Many Things Went Wrong”, Says Ogoh Odaudu after BAL Exit

Fola Badmus15 mins

Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu has said, “too many things went wrong,” while assessing his side’s quarter-final performance against Armée Patriotique Rwandaise [APR] on Monday in Pretoria. The KingsMen fell one step short of repeating last season’s heroic run to the Basketball Africa League semi-finals as they lost their quarter-final 104-73 to APR, their largest loss margin at the BAL. It looked like it wasn’t going to be Rivers Hoopers’ night, as early in the game as the first quarter, where APR doubled the KingsMen’s points, leading 24-11. Despite some bright moments from South Sudanese-Australian forward, Madut Akec, who scored 19 points, had four assists and two rebounds, the KingsMen were outplayed in the entirety of the game. Raphiael Putney attempted to begin a second-quarter comeback with three consecutive threes, but APR were quick to deal with the surge, continuing their show: efficient on both ends of the court. Speaking in a postgame news conference at the SunBet Arena on Monday, Odaudu said: “What’s changed [is that] we are no longer playing in the semi-finals. We’ve been knocked out, but on a general note, I think we had a really bad day today.” “We didn’t play as well as we thought we could play, and it happens in basketball. We are not upset. We may be disappointed, but we are holding our heads high. Too many things went wrong. The killer for us [at] the start was the 52 points made in the paint. The BAL Season Four Coach of the Year was critical of his team following the shots allowed in the paint by APR. “We didn’t defend the way we should have. So, nothing has changed; we are still Rivers Hoopers. We will still go back there [BAL], and we will still be back. Rivers Hoopers finished runners-up in Rabat, Morocco, during the Sahara Conference, where they finished with a 4-2 record. Recalling the team’s performance, Odaudu said the team exceeded expectations in the conference. “Nobody gave us a chance in Morocco,” Odaudu acknowledged. “But we stood our ground against all the teams that were there, and we came up second.” Odaudu was thankful for the support the Port Harcourt-based side has enjoyed so far, stating that it is important. “All in all, Rivers State, so far, has been giving us the support that they have been able to give us, and trust me, it is miles better than what other teams get. The heavy loss was one of the reasons Odaudu reflected on the domestic league, highlighting the importance of regular domestic competitions as the KingsMen look to regroup and return to Africa’s elite competition. “One major problem that we are facing, too, [is that] we played against US Monastir, who just came off their championship game – they lost – but they have been playing for a long time. “We played today against APR, who are still in the thick of their league… Rivers Hoopers have not played competitively since Morocco. It’s one of the problems that we have, too. We hope the Nigeria [Basketball] Federation is going to change all this [domestic league format], and then we are going to arrive at the BAL playing, not just coming to try to get into game shape while we are at the tournament.”

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APR Dumps Rivers Hoopers Out of Basketball Africa League Season Five Playoffs

Fola Badmus14 mins

Six-time Nigerian Basketball League champions, Rivers Hoopers, have been knocked out of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), after they suffered their biggest defeat in the history of the competition – a 31-point loss – to Rwanda’s APR in a quarter-final encounter at the ongoing BAL Season five, which ended 104-73. After both teams struggled to score any points during the opening minute of the game, APR found their rhythm with effective shooting and good perimeter defense to close out the first quarter 24-11, as the KingsMen struggled to get into their groove. During the first quarter, APR scored 14 while Rivers Hoopers had four, highlighting the early dominance of the Rwandese at both ends. While the KingsMen struggled to get going in the game, APR’s trio of Aliou Diarra (13), Chasson Randle (13), and Nuni Omot (12) ran the show, with each player hitting double figures for points by the halfway mark to give the Rwandan champions a lofty 25-point lead at 57-32. Hoopers Head Coach, Ogoh Oduaudu, tried to change things from the bench with the reintroduction of Kelvin Amayo, Rahpiael Putney, Peter Olisemeka, and Ahmed Doumbia after the halftime break. The move seemed to have an immediate impact as the KingsMen cut the deficit by 7 points inside the first four minutes of the 2nd half. But APR responded with a dominant 3-minute spell to re-establish a 31-point lead heading into the final quarter. Things moved from bad to worse for the KingsMen after Rahpiael Putney who notched 12 points as the team’s second best shooter on the day, was ejected from the game with a 5th personal foul within two minutes of the 4th quarter. However, the Nigerian champions rallied to put up their best showing of the game, with Madut Akec scoring 7 of his game-high 21 points to end the quarter at 21-21, but the damage had already been done as APR ran out 104-73 winners. Maxi Shamba (10) was the only other player to reach double figures for the KingsMen. APR, meanwhile, had four players score at least 10 points, as they dominated in the paint, outscoring Rivers Hoopers 52-32, while notching up 32 points from the bench. Hoopers managed only 18 bench points, with Chingka Garba particularly impressive grabbing 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals off the bench. The result means APR will face Libya’s Al Ahly in the semi-final on Wednesday, 11th June, while Rivers Hoopers must now return home to prepare for the domestic season.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers Suffer Defeat to US Monastir in Seeding Game

Fola Badmus15 mins

Rahpiael Putney scored a Basketball Africa League (BAL) career-high 28 points along with 7 rebounds to lead the charge for Rivers Hoopers, but the Nigerian champions succumbed to an 89-81 defeat by Tunisia powerhouse US Monastir in the final seeding game on Saturday. Putney stole the show in a tightly contested first quarter during which both teams exchanged leads nine times, as he led from the front with 10 points to his name, before Madut Akec scored a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the 1st quarter to hand Rivers Hoopers a 2-point lead at 16-14. Ahmed Doumbia scored 7 points in 2 minutes midway through the 2nd quarter to stretch the KingsMen’s lead to 6 points at 27-21. Michael Okiki then found Madut Akec on a fast break for the South Sudanese forward to net an easy score with one of the best plays of the first half as Rivers Hoopers led by 4 points at Halftime with the score at 36-32. Rahpiael Putney, who scored 16 first half points, stayed hot at the start of the 3rd quarter, sinking back-to-back threes to stretch the lead to 9 points. But Monastir responded quickly with hot hands from Andrew Edogi, Patrick Hardy Jr., and Osiris Eldridge who scored in quick succession from the bench to rattle the KingsMen and steal a 4-point lead at the end of the 3rd quarter. US Monastir scored a whopping 41 points from the bench, compared to Rivers Hoopers’ 19. The fourth quarter belonged to BAL elevate star, Babacar Sane who ran the show for Monastir as the 2022 Champions opened up a 13-point lead and never looked back. Ahmed Doumbia brought some cheers to the crowd when he drilled in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from deep to cut the deficit to 8 points, as Monastir held on for an 89-81 win. Peter Olisemeka was again efficient for the Rivers Hoopers, scoring the team’s only double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, with Madut Akec who notched 15 points the only other player to hit double figures for the KingsMen. Speaking after the game, Rivers Hoopers Head Coach, Ogoh Oduaudu blamed the defeat on a loss of concentration in the third quarter. He said “Well, I think it’s [due to] a loss of concentration. We were up there in the first two quarters and then in the 3rd quarter everything broke down. We’re happy it happened in a game that was just a seeding game. Despite the loss, the BAL Season four coach of the year was however pleased with the performance of his team and was adamant of a better showing in the quarterfinals. “We didn’t want this to happen in the quarterfinals. So it gives us the opportunity to go back and try to clean it up tomorrow before we come back for the quarterfinals on Monday. But in all, I think we played a very good game and except for that break in the 3rd quarter I’m impressed with what they did.” he added. The outcome of the game means Rivers Hoopers will square up against Rwanda’s APR in the BAL Season 5 quarterfinals on Monday, 9th June, while US Monastir face defending champions Petro de Luanda.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers’ Amayo Upbeat Ahead Of US Monastir Clash

Fola Badmus03 mins

Rivers Hoopers guard Kelvin Amayo is confident that the KingsMen will showcase a high level of intensity on defense ahead of their seeding game against US Monastir on June 7 in Pretoria. The KingsMen, who are ranked fourth, will be up against third seed, Us Monastir, in a seeding game on Saturday. Kelvin Amayo was gracious and quick to congratulate US Monastir for entering the BAL Season 5 Playoffs as Sahara Conference winners. He said, “I just want to say congrats to US Monastir. I watched them in the Sahara Conference, [and] they played well. They’re definitely not the same team from last year to this year. Amayo, who led the Kalahari Conference in blocks, believes that the team’s defensive efforts will be crucial in limiting the Sahara Conference winners. “I think what we are going to do is showcase a high level of intensity in the defensive end,” Amayo said. The 6-foot-4 guard has a positive record against US Monastir, having helped Rivers Hoopers win 92-88 in the 2024 BAL quarterfinals with 18 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists. Both teams have grown to become familiar foes at the BAL and are now set for the fifth installment of their growing rivalry, with the previous four meetings evenly split at two wins apiece. Most recently, the KingsMen knocked out US Monastir in an electrifying quarter-final showdown at the BAL Season 4, which ended 92-88 in favour of the Hoopers. They face the KingsMen on Saturday, June 7, in one of the four seeding games before the 2025 BAL quarter-finals at 6pm local time (6pm Nigerian time), and Amayo is positive about the meeting. “Everybody is going to have fun, and I think Saturday is a great game for everybody to come and watch.”

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