River Hoopers’ final dreams dashed in overtime loss

Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers came agonisingly close to reaching the BAL final on their debut but ultimately fell short, losing 89-83 in overtime to the Libyan side Al Ahly.

Despite a sluggish start, the Nigerian side showed remarkable resilience, fighting back to tie the game at 73-73 at the end of the fourth quarter and forcing overtime.

South Sudanese star Lula Acuil stole the show, claiming the MVP title with an impressive 27-point haul, surpassing Nigeria’s Kelvin Amayo’s earlier dominance. The Libyans dominated the first quarter, leading 27-21, and extended their advantage to 48-37 by halftime.

However, the Kingsmen staged a remarkable comeback in the third quarter, overturning the deficit to lead 60-56. Unfortunately, their hard work was undone in the fourth quarter as the Libyans fought back to tie the game and force overtime.

In the extra period, the Libyans pulled away, winning by six points and shattering Rivers Hoopers’ final ticket dreams.

The Game

The first quarter saw Al Ahly draw first blood through Kelvin Murphy’s free throws, but Kelvin Amayo quickly responded with a three-pointer to keep Hoopers in the hunt.

Lual Acuil gave the Libyans the lead with a two-point basket, only for Will Perry to tie the game with his first basket. Hoopers struggled with missed baskets and trailed by nine points at one stage, but Devine Eke and Amayo led the charge to close the gap to six points (21-15) by the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Kelvin Murphy was penalised for a personal foul on Hoopers’ captain Victor Koko, allowing Diabate to score the first basket from the free throw line.

Ghayth Almaghribi then made a double rebound, and despite Will Perry’s valiant efforts, Hoopers trailed by 11 points at halftime (48-37).

The second half saw Hoopers come out strong, with Devine Eke and Captain Anthony Koko scoring the first baskets. Amayo continued his offensive prowess, scoring his 16th point with a basket from Perry’s assist.

He topped the points chart with 18, but Hoopers still trailed by four points. Olisemeka’s defensive approach gave the Kingsmen a counter, which was dunked by Eke for his ninth point.

However, he missed two free throws, and the turnaround scenario began when Olisemeka levelled up for the Kingsmen from a rebound, and Eke’s free throw gave the Hoopers their first lead in the game (60-58).

Amayo extended the lead before Perry scored a free throw to finish the third quarter with a four-point lead (62-58).

Al Ahly refused to give up, as they made several successful attempts to reduce the deficit. Lual Acuil scored a crucial three-pointer to tie the game at 73-73, forcing overtime. Unfortunately, Hoopers lost 13-8 in the extra period, surrendering crucial free throws to seal their fate.

Despite the loss, Rivers Hoopers showed remarkable resilience and fighting spirit, pushing their opponents to the limit. Kelvin Amayo top-scored for Nigeria with 26 points, while Will Perry and Devine Eke contributed 25 and 15 points, respectively.

Lual Acuil led Al Ahly’s charge with 27 points, which earned him the MVP title.