Rivers Hoopers are out of the ongoing Basketball Africa League’s fifth season at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, following an underwhelming 104-73 defeat to Rwandan franchise, APR, in a quarter-final match-up on Monday.
Nigeria’s representatives at BAL5, ranked as the fourth-best team heading into the competition, had lost their opening seeding fixture 89-81 to third-seeded US Monastir of Tunisia last weekend, and needed to come up with a win against APR in order to make the semi-finals.
However, the Port Harcourt-based outfit were outclassed from start to finish and did not win a single quarter, as they recorded consecutive defeats in South Africa.
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APR won the first quarter 24-11, having attempted 16 field goals and converting 50% of them, unlike the Hoopers who attempted 17 field goals but only managed to convert 17.6% of them, along with five turnovers compared to just one made by the Rwandans.
The second quarter ended 33-21 in APR’s favour as the Rwandan side put up an efficient display by converting 93.3% of their field goal attempts, compared to the KingsMen’s 38.1% from 21 field goal attempts.
Coach Ogah Odaudu’s side still had no answer to APR’s onsluaght in the third quarter, who extended their 25-point half-time lead by six points, before letting up in the fourth quarter which ended all-square at 21 apiece to give APR a 31-point blowout win.
Despite the crushing loss, Hoopers forward Madut Akec put up an impressive 21 points, two rebounds and four assists, while 35-year-old American teammate Raphiael Putney finished with 12 points, and guard, Maxi Munanga, of the Democratic Republic of Congo added 10 points.
APR had five players score double digits at the end, with Nuni Omot leading with 21 points and five rebounds. Aliou Diarra registered 20 points and 10 rebounds, Chasson Randle put up 15 points, Youssou Ndoye added 13 points, while Obadiah Noel produced 10 points to guide the team to victory.
The victory sees APR progress into the BAL semi-finals, as they look to claim the continental crown.