Rivers Hoopers Suffer First Defeat In Basketball Africa League Season Five

Rivers Hoopers Suffer First Defeat In Basketball Africa League Season Five

Precious Oham

Rivers Hoopers were handed their first loss of the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign, falling 80-100 to Egypt’s Al-Ittihad in their third game of the Kalahari Conference at the Salle Omnisports Moulay Abdellah on Tuesday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Despite the result, the KingsMen had some strong individual performances.

Madut Akec led the team with 18 points and 4 rebounds. Putney followed with 17 points, while Kelvin Amayo posted an all-around effort with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Maxi Shamba added 11 points off the bench. The Nigerian league champions showed flashes of their quality, even taking a brief lead in the second quarter.

But costly turnovers and breakdowns in transition defence allowed the Egyptian side to take control, especially from beyond the arc.

Al-Ittihad’s Kyle Vinales led all scorers with 26 points and 7 rebounds, proving decisive during key stretches of the game.

With two wins and one loss now in the bag, Rivers Hoopers will look to bounce back when they face Morocco’s FUS Rabat on Thursday, April 10.

A victory will be vital in their quest to secure a playoff spot in the Kalahari Conference.