Rivers Hoopers extended their winning streak to four games after defeating Kwara Falcons 82-62 in Phase Two of the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League.
The KingsMen produced another commanding display to maintain their impressive run, overcoming an early challenge from Kwara Falcons at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
Rivers raced into a 10-0 lead at the start of the contest, but the Falcons responded strongly to edge the opening quarter 18-17.
The KingsMen responded with a 13-2 burst to start the second period, outscoring Kwara 24-15. John Idoga and Victor Sunday combined for 16 consecutive points during the run, sending Rivers into halftime with an eight-point lead.
Rivers tightened their grip after the break, taking the third quarter 21-10 and closing out the final period 20-19 to seal the win.
Idoga led all scorers with 21 points, matching his tally from the previous game against Hoops & Read. The small forward scored his team’s first eight points, finished the first half with 17 and credited his teammates for the performance.
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“It all comes down to teamwork,” Idoga said. “We all came out to win and play our best basketball. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have scored as many points as I did. Credit goes to them for setting screens, delivering timely passes, and covering up my lapses.”
Sunday contributed 14 points, while Chinedu Nwaogu added 12 — including a late three-pointer to cap the scoring a day after his birthday. Anaiye Johnson and Buchi Vincent added nine points apiece as Rivers hit six three-pointers on the day.
Rivers secured the win despite missing key personnel, with Abel Offia sidelined by illness and captain Victor Koko ruled out with a back injury.
Assistant coach Victor James praised his squad’s resilience as the demands of a congested schedule begin to show.
“I was pleased with the team effort,” James said. “We have played four straight games, and fatigue is beginning to set in. But I liked the fact that we worked together as a team with the right effort, pushing ourselves to make sure we got this win.”
James made repeated spacing adjustments throughout the match to counter offensive stagnation.
“There were some important adjustments I had to give to the players during the game, especially on defense and offense,” James said. “At times we struggled to execute because we had too many players clustering in the lane. I had to make them understand that we needed to space out to allow easy access for driving and making extra passes.”
Rivers face fellow Rivers State side Athletes 4 Peace in their fifth Phase Two fixture today. James said his team would look to exploit their experience advantage in the derby.
“We are going to approach the game the same way, but I think we will be more composed,” James said. “Athletes 4 Peace are a good team, but they are largely inexperienced. We have talented, experienced players, and we plan to leverage that advantage.”
