PORT HARCOURT (Nigeria) — Fans at the Civic Centre basketball Arena in Port Harcourt literarily erupted with ecstasy and joy as their home side, Rivers Hoopers, claimed a back-to-back title of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final 8 on Monday.
The Hoopers defeated high-riding Hoops & Reads 71-54 in the Final game.
With this victory, Rivers Hoopers secured a berth in Basketball Africa League (BAL) Season 5. They finished third in the BAL Season 4.
The six-time champions of Nigeria went unbeaten from start to finish, with a 12-0 record to prove their dominance.
The final game began with high expectations from both teams but it was Rivers Hoopers who led 34-29 after halftime and never took their feet off the pedal the heat in the second half. They scored 37 more points while holding Hoops & Read to 25 points across two quarters.
Stand-out performer Kelvin Amayo, who shone for the KingsMen at the last edition of the BAL earlier this year, led all scorers with 29 points, scoring 20 in the first half alone.
Amayo converted three 3-pointers and shot 11-of-23 from the floor to claim the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Hoopers Head Coach, Ogoh Odaudu told FIBA.basketball after the game that he felt elated to have won the league title back-back. "It feels great I must say here. We started this season with the BAL ticket in mind and we thank God we were able to achieve it. It didn’t come easy as other teams gave us a good fight for the title. I commend my players and staff for their steadfastness and determination. The real battle lies ahead."
In the lead-up to the final, Rivers Hoopers edged out Gboko City Chiefs 79-73 in a hard-fought Semi-Final.
The Gboko City Chiefs got a consolatory Third-Place finish following their 63-60 win over Nile University in a keenly contested game.
Odaudu says his side remains focused on returning to the BAL but says his side is not underrating any of the teams that have made it to the playoffs.
He admitted that his side was under some pressure as the defending champion and also playing on the home court.
The 2024 NBBF All-Star Five comprised Hoopers trio of Michael Okiki, Kelvin Amayo, Buchi Vincent, Chingka Garba (Gboko City Chiefs) and Clinton Osabuchi (Hoops & Read).
FIBA