By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 29, 2024
Two of Rivers Hoopers star performers at the ongoing 2024 Basketball Africa League, Will Perry and Divine Eke are eyeing a podium finish for the club as they take on Libya’s Al Ahly in the semi-finals of the playoffs at the BK Arena in Kigali on Wednesday (today), The PUNCH reports.
Rivers Hoopers made history on Monday when they outlasted former BAL champions US Monastir to advance to the semi-finals, becoming the first Nigerian side to reach the stage with 92-88 win over the Tunisian champions.
It’s Hoopers second season at the BAL and the Nigerian champions seem to have taken every bit of lesson into their drive this year, after winning just one game on their debut in 2021.
“I am super happy for Rivers Hoopers club, they deserve it because they prepared the right way and they took it seriously,” Perry, who scored 33 points, five assists and five rebounds against Monastir said.
“Coach is a humble man, and a great coach and he deserves it. I am super happy for Port Harcourt and the country of Nigeria,” Perry added.
During the Sahara Conference in Dakar, Senegal, they also came out smoking, winning their first three games on the bounce, securing an early passage into the playoffs.
Although their classification game against AS Douanes didn’t go as planned, they returned will full force against Monastir to get their second victory over them in their third meeting this season.
As a result, Eke believes the team are in Kigali to compete.
“This win means a lot to us as a country,” said Eke who scored the first two points of the game and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
“We are here to compete. This is a big victory, not just for the club, but the job is not done. We still have a lot more work to do.”
In the other semi-finals, South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers who shocked FUS Rabat 91-88 in overtime on Sunday will face the winner between Petro de Luanda and AS
Douanes.
Source Punch Ng
Posted May 29, 2024
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