Hoops & Read Hand Rivers Hoopers First Defeat of NPBL Season

Rivers Hoopers suffered their first defeat of the 2026 Nigeria Basketball Premier League (NPBL) Phase I after falling 70-65 to Hoops & Read on Day Four of Atlantic Conference Group A action.

The KingsMen appeared in control after building a 14-point lead early in the third quarter, but their rhythm faltered as Hoops & Read mounted a spirited comeback.

By the end of the third period, the deficit was cut to four points, and in the decisive fourth quarter, Hoops & Read outscored Rivers Hoopers 21-12 to seal the upset.

Rivers Hoopers were undone by uncharacteristic errors, conceding 25 points from 21 turnovers. Interim Head Coach Ronald Alalibo admitted his side’s decision-making was costly.

‘We were not being religious to certain things that we were doing; our decision-making became hasty, and at that point we started making unforced errors,’ he explained.

Despite out-rebounding their opponents 48-44, the KingsMen conceded 17 free throws, their highest tally of the season, and were outscored from the bench for the first time this campaign (38-23).

Alalibo described the performance as ‘outrightly below the bar’ and vowed to make corrections ahead of their next outing.

‘We’ll approach the next game with the mindset of trying to limit those errors to the barest minimum,’ he added.

Point guard Johnson Anaiye, who scored nine points, attributed the defeat to fatigue and defensive lapses.

‘We’ve been playing for four straight days, so something like this result was expected. But overall we didn’t really play good defense on them, and I feel that was one of the reasons we lost the game,’ he said.

Anaiye insisted the team would bounce back with greater intensity: ‘It’s just to intensify our defense in the next game… I feel if we do that, we’re going to pick all the remaining games.’

Team captain Victor Koko, who scored 18 points in their earlier win over Hoops & Read, led the way again with 13 points and six rebounds. John Idoga added 10 points, while Abel Offia contributed eight points and seven rebounds. Victor Sunday chipped in with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Rivers Hoopers now turn their attention to Comets BC on Gameday Five. Having beaten Comets by 30 points earlier in the tournament, Alalibo stressed the importance of a renewed mindset.

‘This game is like an eye-opener that our team is beatable. So we’ll go back home, speak about certain things we did wrong, try to correct it, then try to approach it with a positive mindset,’ he said.