Nigerian Champions Rivers Hoopers began their Basketball Africa League Finals campaign with a narrow 89-81 loss to Tunisia’s US Monastir in a seeding clash at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria on Saturday.
In what was the fifth meeting between both sides in BAL history, the game started evenly, with the KingsMen edging the first quarter 16-14.
Despite shooting 35.7 percent from the field, the Port Harcourt-based outfit held their nerve early, keeping Monastir to just three turnovers while conceding four themselves.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern as the Hoopers once again claimed a slim advantage, outscoring their opponents 20-18.
However, their efficiency dipped, shooting only 28.6 percent from 28 field goal attempts. Still, they reached half-time with a 36-32 lead, aided by Monastir’s eight turnovers in the quarter.
The tide turned dramatically after the break. Monastir came out with greater intensity in the third quarter, shooting an impressive 60 percent from the field.
That scoring run flipped the momentum as the Tunisian side outscored Hoopers 34-26 to go into the final period ahead at 66-62.
Monastir sealed the result with a 23-19 fourth-quarter showing, completing the comeback and securing a key win in the seeding round.
Despite the defeat, there were standout performances for the Nigerian champions. Veteran forward Raphiael Putney led all scorers with 28 points and seven rebounds, adding an assist and a steal.
Madut Akec chipped in with 15 points and two steals, while Peter Olisemeka posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds alongside three assists.
US Monastir’s depth proved decisive, with five players scoring in double figures. Babacar Sane paced the Tunisians with 22 points and four rebounds, while American guard Patrick Hardy contributed 17 points and nine assists.
Tarekeyi Edogi added 11 points and eight rebounds, with Firas Lahyani and Osiris Eldridge contributing 11 and 10 points respectively.
The result sees Monastir claim a stronger seeding position ahead of the BAL quarter-finals starting Monday. Rivers Hoopers will need a quick response if they are to keep their title hopes alive.
