NBBF Premier League: Raptors defeat Rivers Hoopers

Editor

Lagos Raptors handed Rivers Hoopers their first defeat of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Phase Two on Friday evening, as they hit the former league champions 71-64. It was a game played on Day Seven at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

The Raptors set the pace early, taking an 18-15 lead in the first quarter before matching the Hoopers 17-17 in the second frame. Raptors extended their advantage by outscoring Hoopers 23-19 in the third quarter, while both teams traded 13 points apiece in the final period.

Hoopers entered the matchup holding a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over the Raptors this season, including a narrow 77-76 Phase One victory in Ibadan that was decided by two free throws in the final second.

On Friday, however, the Raptors established dominance in the third quarter, opening up a 14-point lead with four minutes remaining in the period. The KingsMen rallied to cut the deficit to 58-51 heading into the fourth quarter and then scored seven unanswered points in the opening three minutes of the final period to tie the game at 58-58. Raptors responded with a decisive 13-6 run to close out the contest as the Hoopers struggled to convert their shots.

Anaiye Johnson led the scoring for Rivers Hoopers with 17 points, followed by Chinedu Nwaogu with 12 points. John Idoga and Abel Offia contributed 10 points each, while team captain Victor Koko added 9 points.

“Firstly, I want to give kudos to my teammates and our opponents as well, because it’s not easy to play every day for six days without proper rest,” Koko said after the game.

 “We tried as much as possible to win today, but it just didn’t go our way. When days like this come, all we have to do is stay locked in because we still have a lot of games ahead of us.”

Attention now shifts to the NPBL Playoffs, where the top four teams from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences will convene to compete for a spot in the Final Four.