Rivers Hoopers close out final eight with convincing win over Kwara Falcons

Defending champions Rivers Hoopers wrapped up their 2025 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight Playoffs in dominant fashion, cruising to an 83-69 victory over Kwara Falcons.

Kelvin Amayo led the charge with 17 points, five assists, and five rebounds, bouncing back strongly after missing the previous game against Lagos Legends due to fitness concerns.

Kwara Falcons, the 2022 champions, came into the matchup with nothing but pride to play for, having lost all six of their Final Eight games and three previous encounters with Rivers Hoopers earlier in the season.

They started brightly, edging the first quarter 19-16. But once Mustapha Oyebanji tied the game early in the second quarter and Peter Olisemeka converted a three-point play, the KingsMen seized control and never looked back.

Rivers Hoopers built an 11-point lead by halftime (45-34), saw it trimmed to seven by the end of the third quarter (63-56), and ultimately closed out the game with a 14-point cushion. The bench contributed a massive 43 points, underscoring the team’s depth and offensive efficiency.

Alongside Amayo, three other Hoopers players hit double digits: Oyebanji scored 14 points, including four three-pointers; Malik Miller added 13 points and seven rebounds; and Buchi Nwaiwu chipped in with 10 points and six boards.

Head Coach Ogoh Odaudu praised his team’s performance but emphasized the need for defensive improvement ahead of the Final Four.

‘We’re happy we made the Final Four; that was our target right from the beginning,’ he said. ‘But it’s not over yet. We’re going to take a couple of days off, get some rest, and then come back to fix the things we didn’t quite do well.’

Odaudu stressed the importance of rebounding and team defense, saying, ‘We have to make stops, box out, and play help defense. As a unit, we have to play better defense. We’ve got two to three weeks before the Final Four, and we’ll make sure we’re ready before jump ball.’

The Final Four, scheduled for November 20–24, will determine Nigeria’s basketball champions for 2025. Rivers Hoopers will face Lagos Legends, Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs in a round-robin format, with each team playing the others once.

Looking ahead, 2024 NPBL Finals MVP Kelvin Amayo promised fans a bigger performance.

‘I joined the team just a day before the Final Eight, so we had a plan to ease me in,’ he said. ‘Every day I felt stronger, and today I pushed myself even more. Now there’s two weeks, and you’ll see a bigger show in the Final Four.’