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PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — Rivers Hoopers preserved their perfect record in the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Playoffs on Friday, with a measured 79-70 victory over defending champions Maktown Flyers on Day Six.
The six-time league champions made an early statement, opening the game with an 11-0 lead and dominating the opening period 29-13. While Maktown fought back to chip away at the margin in each of the final three quarters—trimming the deficit to 44-41 at one point—the KingsMen consistently reasserted control to keep them at arm’s length.
The victory extends Rivers Hoopers’ flawless playoff run to 6-0 and handed the Maktown Flyers their first defeat of the postseason. It also marks the Flyers’ second loss across the entire 2026 NPBL campaign, with both defeats coming at the hands of the KingsMen following an earlier 74-61 Hoopers win in Phase Two.
“We knew it was not going to be an easy game,” Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu said after the match. “We started off well, but we started doing things we were not supposed to do. They gave us a good fight, but I am not very pleased with my team… We should have ended this game by halftime, but we had to struggle the whole game, and it took a toll on us knowing that we still have one more game tomorrow.”
Abel Offia paced a balanced Hoopers attack with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Center Peter Olisemeka turned in a dominant interior display, posting a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. Onyebuchi Nwaiwu added 12 points, while Victor Sunday scored 11. Point guard Omar Abada as well as Anaiye Johnson and Samuel Sani contributed 8 points apiece, while John Idoga pulled down 7 rebounds.
Odaudu attributed Maktown’s middle-quarter surge to a lapse in focus from his squad rather than tactical adjustments. “It’s a mental thing, and it’s common with ball players,” Odaudu noted. “You start playing well, and you think the game is over. Then before you know it, the opponent starts getting back one point at a time… If we were not a well-disciplined team, if we were not mentally prepared, I think this game could have gone either way. But we made sure they didn’t get too close and pulled away eventually.”
With a matchup against the Aso Sky Hawks awaiting on the final day of playoff action on Saturday, Odaudu reiterated his side’s desire to finish the phase untainted despite growing physical demands.
“Well, that’s the plan,” Odaudu said on the prospect of a sweep. “From what we see right now, there are a lot of bumps and a lot of fatigue. So we’re going to see what happens. But the aim is to make a complete sweep—win seven out of seven—and that’s the plan.”
Other Day Seven fixtures include;
Kano Pillars vs Hoops & Read (2pm)
Lagos Raptors vs Gboko City Chiefs (4pm)
313 Warriors vs Maktown Flyers (6pm)
All games will be played at the Basketball Stadium, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township, Rivers State.
