Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers capped off a historic Basketball Africa League run with a dominating performance, defeating South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers 80-57 to claim third place at the BK Arena in Kigali.
Both teams were hungry for a podium finish. The Hoopers exploded out of the gate, outscoring their opponents 25-8 in the first quarter. Cape Town Tigers clawed back in the second, taking the frame 21-18.
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However, the Nigerian side tightened up in the third, holding the Tigers to just nine points while putting up 20 of their own. While Cape Town won the final quarter 19-17, the early deficit proved insurmountable. Rivers Hoopers simply played with a higher intensity throughout the contest.
For the second straight game, Kelvin Amayo paced the Hoopers with a monster performance: 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Devine Eke chipped in with a 20-point, 9-rebound effort, while guard Will Perry added a well-rounded 10 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
