Rivers Hoopers celebrate fifth straight win at 2026 NPBL Phase Two

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Rivers Hoopers won a scrappy contest against local counterparts Athletes 4 Peace 50-47 as John Idoga dealt a devastating blow with a buzzer-beating corner three to ensure the KingsMen notched their fifth straight win, maintaining their perfect run in the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL), Phase Two.

The indoor basketball court at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Enugu State, seemed poised to witness its first game to spill into overtime in the ongoing NPBL Phase Two when Idoga received an inbound pass from Victor Sunday with less than 2 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game tied, before firing home from a tight corner despite being put under serious pressure.

The high-stakes derby turned physical in the third quarter, resulting in a player from Athletes 4 Peace being ejected following a technical and an unsportsmanlike foul, according to reports. Rivers Hoopers were also assessed a technical foul during the altercation.

This set the tone for the rest of the game, including a frantic fourth quarter during which Athletes 4 Peace, who had trailed by 12 points, outscored the KingsMen 16-4 to tie the game with seconds to go before Idoga’s game-winning heroics.

“At that point, I knew it was make or break,” Idoga said of his final shot. “I asked Buchi [Vincent] to set up a screen for me to take the risk, and he did. I took the shot, and it went in.”

Idoga led the Hoopers with 16 points, while Sunday contributed nine, with the duo combining for half of their team’s total score.

Despite the victory, Rivers Hoopers interim head coach Ronald Alalibo was unimpressed by what he termed a complacent performance from his team.

“They looked down on their opponents, like they’d already won the game even before stepping on the floor,” Alalibo said. “We weren’t being smart, kept turning the ball over, and it showed the attitude with which we approached the game. The players believed it would be a walk in the park, but the opponents came out to play.

Idoga acknowledged his coach’s concerns, citing fatigue as a factor in the sluggish performance, but promised a sharper display in their next outing.

“I wasn’t moving properly on the floor today due to fatigue,” Idoga said. “But we’re coming all out tomorrow, as we [the players] have already spoken to ourselves about how well we need to play.”

The Hoopers next face another unbeaten side, defending champions Maktown Flyers, on Thursday, in a rematch of the 2025 NPBL finals, which the Flyers won by two points.

“I’m expecting our players to understand that they performed way below expectations today, despite winning the game,” Alalibo added. “I believe they’ll learn from their mistakes. We’ll go back to the drawing board and try as much as possible to correct those mistakes, knowing that Maktown Flyers are more experienced, more deliberate, and more disciplined than the other teams we’ve played so far,” he concluded.