Rivers Hoopers suffered an 89-81 defeat to Tunisian side Union Sportive Monastir in their quarterfinal seeding game at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Hoopers, who secured a third-place finish in the 2024 edition, were hoping for a strong start to their campaign and led at halftime after outscoring Monastir 36-32.
However, Monastir came out firing in the third quarter, turning the tide with a 34-26 run that set up a tense final quarter. The Tunisians maintained their momentum, capitalizing on defensive lapses to secure easy baskets and frustrate the Nigerian side. They outscored the Hoopers 23-19 in the fourth quarter to close out the win.
Babacar Sane led Monastir’s comeback with a stellar performance, posting 22 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Patrick Hardy Jr. added 17 points, nine assists, and two rebounds, while Firas Lahyani and Andrew Tarekeyi Edogi chipped in 11 points each.
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For the Hoopers, Raphael Putney delivered a game-high 28 points along with seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Madut Akec contributed 15 points, while Peter Olisemeka recorded the game’s only double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Monastir’s bench proved decisive, contributing 41 points compared to the Hoopers’ 19.
Rivers Hoopers will now face Rwandan debutants APR, who stunned defending champions Petro de Luanda with a commanding 75-57 victory in their own seeding game.
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