Rivers Hoopers Basketball Club have made history as the first Nigerian side to reach the semi-final of the Basketball Africa League after a 92-88 quarterfinal victory over US Monastir of Tunisia at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on Monday.
The Kingsmen started strongly and took a five-point lead into the break at 45-40 before holding on to seal the deal despite a late push from the 2022 Champions.
In a tension-soaked encounter, Will Perry emerged as the game’s top scorer, pouring in a massive 33 points for Rivers Hoopers. Three other players – Peter Olisemeka, Kelvin Amayo, and Divine Eke – also stepped up with crucial contributions, each registering double-digit points (18, 18, and 16 respectively).
US Monastir put up a valiant effort, led by Marcus Crawford’s impressive 31 points, the second-highest of the game. Ousamma Marnaoui chipped in with 22 points for the Tunisian side, while Sadio Doucoure and Ater Majock added 14 and 11 points respectively. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome a determined Rivers Hoopers squad.
Up next for Rivers Hoopers is a semi-final clash with Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya, who stunned defending champions, Al Ahly of Egypt 86-77 on Sunday.
The much-anticipated semi-final showdown between the Nigerian and Libyan sides will take place on Wednesday, where another piece of history awaits the Nigerian team.
