How Rivers Hoopers won seventh Nigeria Premier Basketball League title –Odaudu
Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu has opened up on the team’s historic seventh Nigeria Premier Basketball League title following a 88-76 win over Gboko City Chiefs on Tuesday.
The KingsMen emerged champions of the league for the seventh time with a game to spare on the Day Two of the 2026 Final Four in the title playoffs in Port-Harcourt.
The victory also helped the team to book a place in the 2027 Basketball Africa League.
The Hoopers bounced back from a 19-18 defeat in the first quarter before they stormed to a 45-35 lead in the second quarter going into the break.
Omar Abada led the attack with a team-high 18 points and three assists, while shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc
Peter Olisemeka recorded a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, while Offia added 14 points, six rebounds and four three-pointers to seal the win.
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Odaudu was full of praise for the players following a battling performance to retain the title they lost to Dolphins last season.
He said: “I’m really, really happy. We had a heartbreak at home here last season, and we didn’t want thunder to strike in the same place twice. We put up a good fight, and right now I’m really happy for the boys, happy for the crowd, happy for Rivers State, and happy that we’re back where we’re supposed to be.
“We didn’t want to keep the game close and let it go down to the wire. We wanted to blow them out and ensure that we had control of the game, and the players played it to perfection. I’m really, really proud of them.”
Odaudu has now won the Nigeria Premier Basketball League title seven times in eight seasons with the Rivers Hoopers.
He was named Basketball Africa League Coach of the Year in 2024 after leading the Hoopers to a historic Sahara Conference win and a third-place finish.
