Louis Edem Invitational Basketball Tournament: Ogoh Odaudu says he will do his best to win tourney

Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu has expressed his desire to win the second edition of the Louis Edem Invitational Basketball tournament in Lagos.

Hoopers last won a tournament February last year at the Crown Elite Invitational tournament and have gone ahead to lose three consecutive tournaments.

The KingsMen were beaten in the Sam Oguche Bullet Energy Tournament, NBBF Final 8 both in November 2022 and the Louis Edem Championship in February this year where they lost in the semi final to Nigeria league champions Kwara Falcons.

Odaudu whose team defeated Energie Cotonou 36-23 in their first game of the Louis Edem Tournament on Sunday said he wants to win it.

“I want to win it and also for my team, there is a bragging right at stake. I will do my best to win it.”

The former champions struggled at both ends but managed to get a win against the Cotonou team. Abel Offia scored 11 points including two consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter.

Odaudu continued, ”It was a scrappy game. I was not too impressed, but I can understand my players got in at 2 am last night and they have not rested enough. I hope they will rest well tonight and tomorrow’s game will be a lot better.”

”The team is gradually taking shape. They have not played any competitive game in a long while and playing at this level I give them kudos. Though the running time didn’t help and we would have preferred we played the regular 10 minutes, hopefully we get better as the game goes by,”he added.

Rivers Hoopers will play against Spintex Knights of Ghana on Monday at 12:30pm.