Rivers Hoopers maintained their unbeaten run in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Kalahari Conference with a thrilling 88–82 win over FUS de Rabat on Sunday, but head coach Ogoh Odaudu insists the team is still far from its full potential.
The victory sees the Nigerian champions rise to the top of the conference standings with a 2–0 record, following an earlier win against Stade Malien. FUS, meanwhile, dropped to 0–2 after also falling to Al Ittihad in their opener.
Despite playing away from home, Rivers came out focused and energetic. Raphiael Putney, who had a quiet start in the first game, opened strong with seven of the team’s first eight points.
Madut Akec then took over, scoring 11 in the first quarter to give the Hoopers a 23–17 lead.
Kelvin Amayo joined the scoring spree in the second quarter, and by halftime, Rivers led 50–42, with Akec, Putney, and Amayo all in double digits. Nisre Zouzoua kept FUS in the contest with 10 points by the break.
The home side rallied in the third quarter. Abdelhakim Zouita and Badr Eddine Azouga added momentum, and Zouzoua buried a three-pointer to give FUS their first lead of the game.
A couple of missed free throws by Ike David Ugonna late in the quarter allowed the Moroccans to edge ahead 67–65 going into the fourth.
But Rivers responded with composure. Shamba Maxi Munanga made an impact off the bench, and Ugonna recovered his form at the line. Putney, brought back in despite four fouls, linked up well with Peter Olisemeka inside the paint.
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Zouzoua tied the game at 78–78 with his third three-pointer, but the Hoopers answered with a crucial eight-point run in the final minute to close out the win and silence the home crowd.
Akec led all scorers with 25 points, Amayo finished with 23, and Zouzoua had 21 for the hosts.
Despite the strong start, coach Odaudu wasn’t getting carried away.
“We’re still a work in progress,” he said post-match. “We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re building. The plan has always been to take it one game at a time.”
Rivers Hoopers are now in a strong position to qualify automatically for the BAL playoffs, alongside Al Ittihad.
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Each team in the Kalahari Conference plays the others twice, with the top two teams advancing, along with the best two third-placed sides across all three conferences.
