Reigning Nigerian Champions, Rivers Hoopers, made a daring assertion of intent as they received their 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) marketing campaign off to a very good begin.
The nation’s flag bearers earned a hard-fought 77-68 victory over 2023 BAL runners-up AS Douanes on the Dakar Enviornment, Senegal, on Saturday.
The KingsMen, who got here into the sport with a 1-2 (win-lose) document from their earlier look on the inaugural version of the BAL, knew they needed to struggle laborious and compete towards the house staff, who went all the way in which to the ultimate eventually yr’s version of Africa’s Premier Membership Basketball Championship.
Shaky begin
AS Douanes have been first on the scoreboard once they made one in every of two free throws inside the primary minute of motion, however Rivers Hoopers responded virtually instantly with Will Perry burying a 3-point shot to point out the KingsMen’s intent.
Nonetheless, the sport slowly drifted in favour of the AS Douanes, who have been buoyed by a raucous house help to take a 5-point lead, closing out the primary quarter 23-18.
AS Douanes opened up a 14-point lead as Rivers Hoopers suffered a poor scoring run inside the primary 5 minutes of the second quarter.
However as the sport progressed, the KingsMen continued to slowly discover their rhythm, and with the introduction of captain Victor Koko, the KingsMen outscored AS Douanes 19-16 within the second quarter to chop the deficit to 2 factors, with the scores at 39-37 heading into the halftime break.
The opening two minutes of the third quarter was rocky, till D’Tigers ahead Devine Eke confirmed nice athleticism, driving contained in the perimeter to make a troublesome layup, drawing contact within the course of.
Rivers Hoppers in management
From then on, there was no stopping Eke and the KingsMen, because the mercurial 27-year-old tied the scores at 42 factors apiece from the free throw line and likewise scored the factors that put Rivers Hoopers within the driver’s seat.
With a mixture of fine protection and a very good scoring run, the KingsMen long-established a exceptional turnaround, outscoring AS Douanes 19-9 within the third quarter to take an 8-point lead, heading into the fourth quarter with the scores at 56-48 of their favour.
The KingsMen continued to experience on the wave of their newfound confidence and squared up brilliantly to AS Douanes, unfazed by the large house help, and had solutions for each query requested, closing out the sport with a 9-point lead for a well-known 77-68 victory over final yr’s runners-up.
READ ALSO: NBBF Tremendous 8 Finals: Rivers Hoopers, Kwara Falcons keep unbeaten
Devine Eke was named as the sport’s high performer, as he completed with a double-double of a game-high 31 factors, together with 12 rebounds and three assists.
Will Perry added 15 factors for the KingsMen, with John Wilkins placing up 14, whereas Peter Olisemeka put up double digits on rebounds with 10, and Kelvin Amayo led the help chart with a game-high 8 assists.
Up subsequent for the KingsMen is a date with APR of Rwanda, who shocked former champions US Monastir (Tunisia) 89-84 after additional time within the Sahara Convention opener.
That sport comes up by 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, 5 Could.
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