History was made for the Rivers Hoopers on Friday as they beat South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in the third-place game at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, to become the first Nigerian side to win a medal at the Basketball Africa League.
The King’s Men, who are the first Nigerian team to win back-to-back games at the BAL and the first Nigerian team to make it to the competition’s playoffs, have picked up the bronze medal.
Rivers Hoopers secure the third spot on BAL 2024 with a commanding victory over the Cape Town Tigers. #BAL4 pic.twitter.com/8bW549hRx8
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 31, 2024
Having suffered a painful overtime defeat in the semifinals on Wednesday, the Nigerian champions made light work of their South African counterparts with a blowout win in the penultimate game of this season’s BAL.
The Hoopers were very dominant from the beginning, building a huge 17-point lead after a 25-8 first quarter. The Tigers, who hosted the inaugural Kalahari Conference, tightened their defence in the second quarter, which ended 21-18, to reduce the deficit by three points heading into halftime.
The Nigerians came out of the break firing on all cylinders with another huge 20-9 quarter to take the lead up to 25 points and put them in a comfortable spot heading into the final quarter, which Cape Town won 19-17.
History has been made!!!!
Third best team in Africa for @theBAL season 4. Nigeria you feel am?
Drop some good words for this great team from Pitakwa. All the way from 59 Niger street , Port Harcourt. #TheBAL #BAL4 #TheKingsMen pic.twitter.com/Nrs2PaYqEK
— Rivers Hoopers (@RiversHoopers) May 31, 2024
Kelvin Amayo led the Rivers Hoopers with 25 points and four 3-pointers to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Top performer for today’s game #TheBAL #BAL4 #TheKingsMen pic.twitter.com/tK8eYX43pE
— Rivers Hoopers (@RiversHoopers) May 31, 2024
D’Tigers forward Devine Eke finished with 20 points and nine rebounds; Will Perry added 10 points, 7 rebounds, and a game-high eight assists; John Wilkins poured in nine points; and David Ike, 16-year-old BAL Elevate player, got four points and 10 rebounds.
The Hoopers were much better on defence against the South Africans, winning the rebound game 56-53 while also forcing their opponent to 20 turnovers and getting 14 steals.
They moved the ball better also, dishing out 22 assists as a team along with shooting 38% from the field on 32 of 84 attempts and 34% from beyond the arc.
Dhieu Abok Deng led the Cape Town Tigers with 17 points; Ngor Santino Manyang followed suit with 14 points and seven rebounds; Nkosinathi Sibanyoni had eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds; and Dylan Whitbread finished with nine points and seven rebounds.
