Rivers Hoopers BC, Nigeria’s representative at the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL), made history by advancing to their first-ever semi-final. They secured a hard-fought 92-88 victory over former BAL champions, US Monastir of Tunisia, in the quarter-final.
Despite entering the quarterfinals after consecutive defeats to US Monastir and AS Douanes (Senegal) during the classification round in Kigali, Rwanda, Rivers Hoopers showed resilience. US Monastir, on a four-game winning streak, appeared formidable, but the KingsMen were determined.
Rivers Hoopers started strong, but US Monastir rallied late in the first quarter, ending it with a slim 21-20 lead. The Nigerian team intensified their efforts in the second quarter, going on an impressive scoring run to take a five-point lead at halftime, with the score at 45-40.
Quarterfinal ✅
The Kings Men from Nigeria 🇳🇬 are Basketball Africa League Semifinal bound 🎉 #BAL4 pic.twitter.com/AxrpEtGw8i— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 27, 2024
This encounter marked their fourth meeting, with US Monastir previously defeating Rivers Hoopers during the inaugural BAL and both teams securing one win each in this year’s Sahara Conference. The third quarter was a fierce contest, but Rivers Hoopers edged ahead, finishing 68-62.
In a tense fourth quarter, US Monastir outscored Rivers Hoopers by two points (26-24), but the Nigerian team held on for a thrilling 92-88 victory. Will Perry, playing every minute of the game, was the standout performer with a game-high 33 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Kelvin Amayo, Peter Olisemeka, and Devine Eke also shone with double-doubles.
This historic win makes Rivers Hoopers the first Nigerian team to reach the semi-finals of Africa’s premier club basketball championship. They will face Libya’s Al Ahly next, vying for a spot in the championship game on May 29 at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
