D’Tigers forward Devine Eke scored a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds to propel the Rivers Hoopers to a 77-68 win over Sahara Conference host AS Douanes in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) on Saturday.
The King’s Men, in their return to the BAL, overcame Douanes’ first quarter scoring spree to upset the home team and silence the crowd inside the Dakar Arena in Senegal to get a historic first win in the Sahara Conference.
First @theBAL win of the Sahara Conference. #TheBAL #BAL4 #HoopersNation #TheKingsMen pic.twitter.com/FGI2vBKgYY
— Rivers Hoopers (@RiversHoopers) May 4, 2024
Douanes built a five-point lead in the first quarter, but the Hoopers reduced it to just two points going into the halftime break after finishing the second quarter 19-16.
Whatever instruction coach Ogoh Odaudu gave the Nigerian champions clearly worked, as they held Douanes to just nine points in the third quarter, which ended 19-9, before a 21-20 fourth quarter, which sealed the victory for the Rivers Hoopers in their opening game.
Eke, who also had three assists and got two steals, went 11-of-17 from the field and shot 8-of-13 from the free throw line. The Nigerian international set the record for the highest points in a BAL debut for the Rivers Hoopers; he also set a new scoring record for the King’s Men, surpassing the previous record of 25 points scored by Chris Daniel in 2021.
Devine Eke vs @asdouanesbasket
31 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 10-13 FG , 1-4 3P, 11-13 FTM
– Led game in PTS and rebounds.
– Most points in a BAL game for Hoopers (surpassing Chris Daniels’ 25 points)
– Highest PTS total in a BAL debut for Rivers Hoopers
– Most PTS in a game pic.twitter.com/Md65kHNyLo— Dorcas Koki😘Sports Diva (@Dorcas_Koki) May 4, 2024
Point guard Will Perry, who had an uncharacteristic poor shooting game, added 15 points and seven rebounds; former Stade Malien guard Kelvin Amayo poured in seven points, four rebounds, and a game-high eight assists; John Wilkins finished with 14 points; and center Peter Olisemeka added three points and 10 rebounds.
For AS Douanes, John Madut had a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds; Jean Jacques Boissy finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists; Seydougou Santis poured in 14 points off the bench; and team captain Alkaly Ndour was scoreless in about seven minutes of action.
The Rivers Hoopers sealed their second-ever win at the BAL, having previously won one game in the maiden edition in 2021.
APR 🇷🇼makes a historic debut in the BAL with a thrilling 89-84 overtime victory against US Monastir🇹🇳! #BAL4 pic.twitter.com/EndXhlG4Fl
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 4, 2024
Meanwhile, debutants Rwanda’s APR stunned 2022 champions US Monastir 89-84 in overtime in the conference opener. Adonis Filer and Noel Obadiah both scored 24 points each to lead the Rwandans, while Marcus Christopher finished with 21 points for Monastir.
However, the Hoopers currently sit atop the Sahara Conference with a better point difference than APR, who are in second. US Monastir are third, while AS Douanes are at the bottom of the standings.
The teams will all be in action again on Sunday, May 5, with APR and Rivers Hoopers facing off in a top-of-the conference battle, while shortly after, US Monastir and AS Douanes will lock horns in the Sahara Conference for a second straight season.
YOU CAN CATCH THE GAME BETWEEN APR AND RIVERS HOOPERS LIVE ON AFROSPORT TV AT 3:30PM NIGERIAN TIME ON SUNDAY, MAY 5.
