Rivers Hoopers, the four-time Nigeria Basketball League champions, showcased their dominance once again by defeating Spintex Knights 74-56 in the final of the Louis Edem Invitational Basketball Championship.
This victory marked their fourth consecutive win in the tournament, having previously triumphed in the inaugural edition earlier this year and twice this week.
Mustapha Oyebanji, who was named the Most Valuable Player, played a pivotal role in the final, scoring 16 points, including four three-pointers. His early threes in the first quarter, along with Michael Daramola’s foul throws, propelled the KingsMen to an 8-0 run.
Although the Ghanians had a stronger offense in the third quarter, cutting the gap to 8 points, Rivers Hoopers responded with a 14-2 run in the last 4 minutes of the game, securing their championship title.
Victor Mohammed and Abel Offia also made significant contributions to the team’s success, combining for 18 points. Additionally, Offia emerged victorious in the three-point shooting contest.
Rivers Hoopers completed the tournament with an unbeaten record of 6-0, breaking their three-tournament losing streak. Their last tournament victory was in February of last year at the Crown Elite Championship.
The team’s impressive performance in the Louis Edem Invitational signifies their return to winning ways and solidifies their position as one of the top basketball teams in Nigeria.
Head coach of the Rivers Hoopers, Ogoh Odaudu, said,”It feels good. I feel very good right now to win a tournament after losing three tournaments. I just hope it continues, and the only way we are going to do that is to go back and work hard so that when next we come, it will be easier than this.”
