Rivers Hoopers continued their unbeaten streak in the Sahara Conference of the 2024 Basketball Africa League with a convincing 84-63 win over Tunisian giants US Monastir at the Dakar Arena in Senegal on Tuesday.

The Hoopers dominated the game from start to finish, leading by as many as 24 points in the second half. They took control from the tip-off, winning the first quarter 25-16 and the second quarter 24-13, to head into halftime with a 20-point lead at 49-29.

Also read: Isaac Success scores first Serie A goal as Udinese hold Napoli

Monastir showed resilience, taking the third quarter 22-18, but the Hoopers responded strongly in the final quarter, outscoring their North African opponents 17-12 to secure an 84-63 win.

Kelvin Amayo was the top performer for the Hoopers, scoring 20 points in the first half and finishing the game with 27 points and nine assists. Guard Will Perry once again demonstrated his importance to the team with a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists. Peter Olisemeka and Devine Eke contributed 13 points each.

Sadio Doucoure led Monastir with 21 points off the bench, while Marcus Christopher Crawford added 17 points and 14 assists for the Tunisians, who have lost their first three games of the competition.

Reacting to the victory, Kelvin Amayo, the game’s Most Valuable Player, expressed his delight with the team’s performance and noted that they were underestimated before the competition.

“I feel amazing… people underestimated us, but what they don’t know is that we worked very hard for this. We trained in Lagos for three to four weeks.”

Amayo also hailed the importance of teammates Will Perry and Devine Eke, “Devine Eke is like my little brother, Will Perry called me around December and January to come play the BAL with him and look at how we’re doing now.”

The win strengthens the Hoopers’ position for a playoff spot, having won their first three games. They will face AS Douanes in their next game on May 9.