Rivers Hoopers used an impressive and ferocious defensive effort to shut down Stade Malien to start the 2025 Basketball Africa League with a statement win.
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The reigning Nigerian champions defeated Stade Malien 81-60 in the opening game of the Kalahari Conference in Rabat, Morocco.
The Hoopers disrupted Les Blancs de Bamako’s offense with nine steals and protected the rim with five blocked shots.
Stade Malien took their biggest lead in the first quarter (23-14), but a disastrous second quarter saw Rivers Hoopers go into the locker room with a 41-35 lead, and the Malians never led again.
Leading the way for the Hoopers was South Sudan’s Madut Akec, who dominated both ends of the floor for the Hoopers.
Akec shot 4-for-7 from behind the arc to finish with 16 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and completed his stellar performance with a game-high 3 block shots.
Reigning Nigerian League MVP Kelvin Amayo led the way with a team-high 19 points, Raphael Putney added 14 points and Maxi Munanga chipped in 11 points off the bench.
Mahamane Coulibaly led Stade Malien with 20 points and Mouhamed Doumbia added 18, but the 15-point third quarter deficit proved costly for Boubacar Kanoute’s side.
Madut, who featured for Senegal’s AS Douanes last season, said there is more to come for the Hoopers.
“We came together as a team,” he told the BAL NBA website.
“My mindset was really just to do whatever I could to help the team win.
“I feel like there’s more to come. I don’t want to compare any of my performances from last season to this season. I want to keep an open mind. I don’t want to focus on what I did in the past; I just want to try to get better and continue to help my team win.
“Last year it was a disappointing [semifinal] loss in the playoffs after being up 20 in the fourth and losing, this time I am more aware of trying to help my team stay together all the time and not let something like that happen.
“We have a good team and when we stick together and play together, we are really dangerous,” Akec said.
The Hoopers resume their campaign on Sunday when they take on hosts FUS Rabat, while Stade Malien face Egyptian side Al Itthiad.
