Hoopers retain NPBL title, pick BAL ticket

Rivers Hoopers will again represent Nigeria at the 2025 Basketball Africa League after retaining their Nigeria Premier Basketball League title with a commanding 71-54 win over Hoops and Read Basketball Club in the playoffs final on Monday in Port Harcourt, The PUNCH reports.

Hooper guard Kelvin Amayo starred in the comprehensive win with 29 points, two assists and one rebound, scoring 20 of his points in the first half to help the Port Harcourt club win their sixth league title.

The King’s Men also ended their 2024 NBPL run with an impeccable 12 wins in 12 games from the Conference finals to the playoffs.

Lagos club Hoops and Read who edged Nile University Spartans in the semis on Sunday tried to keep up with the pace of the champions in the first quarter which ended 24-18 in favour of Hoopers.

They managed to reduce the gap by just one point in Q2 which ended 34-29 but Hoopers extended their lead by 10 points 51-51 in Q3 before finishing the game off at 71-54.

Rivers Hoopers will return to the BAL where they made history earlier this year as the first Nigerian team to make the podium after beating Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in Kigali.

Abiodun Adewale

Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years

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