Rivers Hoopers extended their winning streak to four games with an 82-62 victory over the Kwara Falcons on Tuesday in Phase Two of the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL).
Rivers Hoopers opened the contest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium with a 10-0 run, but Kwara Falcons rallied to claim a narrow 18-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Rivers responded with a 13-2 burst to start the second period, outscoring Kwara 24-15, as John Idoga and Victor Sunday combined for 16 consecutive points during the second-quarter surge, which helped the KingsMen take an eight-point lead into halftime.
Rivers Hoopers tightened their grip on the game after the break, taking the third quarter 21-10 and closing out the final period 20-19 to secure the 20-point win.
Idoga led all scorers with 21 points, matching his tally from the previous game against Hoops & Read. The small forward who sparked the offense early, scoring his team’s first eight points and finishing the first half with 17, gave credit to his teammates.
“It all comes down to teamwork,” Idoga said. “We all came out to win and play our best basketball. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have scored as many points as I did. Credit goes to them for setting screens, delivering timely passes, and covering up my lapses.”
Sunday contributed 14 points to the victory, while Chinedu Nwaogu added 12—including a late three-pointer to cap the scoring a day after his birthday. Anaiye Johnson and Buchi Vincent added nine points apiece for Rivers Hoopers, who dropped six three-pointers on the day.
The KingsMen secured the win despite missing key personnel, as Abel Offia was sidelined with an illness and team captain Victor Koko sat out with a back injury.
Reacting to the performance, Rivers Hoopers assistant coach Victor James praised his squad’s resilience as the grueling schedule begins to take its toll.
“I was pleased with the team effort,” James said. “We have played four straight games, and fatigue is beginning to set in. But I liked the fact that we worked together as a team with the right effort, pushing ourselves to make sure we got this win.”
James was active on the sidelines throughout the match, frequently adjusting his team’s spacing to counter offensive stagnation.
“There were some important adjustments I had to give to the players during the game, especially on defense and offense,” James added. “At times we struggled to execute because we had too many players clustering in the lane. I had to make them understand that we needed to space out to allow easy access for driving and making extra passes.”
Rivers Hoopers will face fellow Rivers-based side Athletes 4 Peace in their fifth game of the NPBL Phase Two on Wednesday, with James indicating that his team would look to exploit their veteran advantage in the upcoming derby.
“We are going to approach the game the same way, but I think we will be more composed,” James said. “Athletes 4 Peace are a good team, but they are largely inexperienced. We have talented, experienced players, and we plan to leverage that advantage.”
