The fifth season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) commenced at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sporting Complex, where Rivers Hoopers secured an 81-60 victory over Stade Malien on Saturday.
The match began with a chaotic pace, but Stade Malien displayed better organization, leading 23-16 at the end of the first quarter, thanks to Mahamane Coulibaly’s impressive 12 points. Coulibaly ultimately finished as the top scorer of the game with 20 points.
In the post-game press conference, Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu remarked, “The first quarter jitters were expected in our opening game… It was beneficial that we managed to regroup when it mattered.”
He added, “Currently, we are not performing at the level we aspire to.”
The Nigerian team began to establish a rhythm in the second quarter. A left hook from Canadian Kelvin Amayo allowed the Port Harcourt team to take a 24-23 lead within the first two minutes after the tip-off. Following a timeout by Stade Malien, the lead fluctuated between the two teams.
American Raphiael Putney, a seasoned player from the NBA’s G League, started the game slowly but returned to the court late in the second quarter with renewed energy, contributing significantly on both ends and helping the Kings Men to a 41-35 lead at halftime.
Rivers Hoopers extended their advantage in the third quarter, heading into the final period with a 62-47 lead. Players like Amayo, Putney, Madut Akec, and Peter Olisemeka proved challenging for their opponents to defend.
The final quarter saw Rivers Hoopers dominate, with Shamba Maxi Munanga (11 points) becoming the fourth player from the team to reach double figures, joining Amayo (19), Akec (16), and Putney (14).
Olisemeka led the game in rebounds with 12, while Akec secured a double-double with 11 rebounds. For Stade Malien, Mouhamed Doumbya contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds.
While it wasn’t the peak performance expected from Rivers Hoopers, last season’s third-place finishers managed to start the season with a win.
Rivers Hoopers are set to compete against the Kalahari Conference hosts, FUS Rabat, in their upcoming match scheduled for a late tip-off on Sunday. FUS began their tournament campaign with a 71-60 loss to Al Ittihad.
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