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PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – Abel Offia scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Rivers Hoopers to a 74-60 victory over the Aso Sky Hawks on Sunday, as the six-time Nigerian champions opened their 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Four season with a decisive victory.
The game was a direct rematch of the playoff final, where the Sky Hawks had handed the Rivers Hoopers their only loss of the postseason. This time, the KingsMen ensured that history would not repeat itself in a heated, high-stakes battle featuring intense defensive pressure and technical fouls called in the fourth quarter against both sides.
The Hoopers established control early, taking a 39-28 lead at halftime thanks to long-range shooting and overall offensive superiority. Nikolaos Okekuoyen shot a perfect 2-of-2 from deep for 11 points, while center Peter Olisemeka anchored the interior with 8 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Aso Sky Hawks were able to come back in the second half, using defensive pressure to cut the deficit to 55-49 at the end of the third period and pulling within two points at 57-55 at the start of the fourth quarter.
However, the KingsMen responded with an explosive 15-0 run that extended their lead to 72-55. Tunisian point guard Omar Abada, who finished with 9 points and 5 assists, sparked the surge with a 3-pointer before Offia hit three consecutive 3-pointers to put the game out of reach. Offia finished 5 of 10 from beyond the arc while grabbing 7 rebounds and Johnson Anaiye added 9 points off the bench.
“Since it was the first match, I knew it would be a little tiring, but I like the way [my players] they dug deep,” Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu said after the win. “They remained resilient, composed and disciplined. They [Sky Hawks] They were fouling a lot in the first half, so I told the team that they were going to have a negative impact in the fourth quarter, and that’s exactly what happened.
Offia attributed the strong response to the team’s unity and motivation resulting from the previous setback. “We needed to lose that playoff game to win this one,” Offia said. “I was very angry about that first defeat, so we came back and talked to ourselves. My teammates kept finding me with the pass and that’s why I was able to score. We got the win, but there are still two games left and we have to stay in charge.”
Rivers Hoopers will return to action on Monday, September 21 for their day two showdown against Gboko City Chiefs. Both teams will look to build on a 1-0 deficit after the City Chiefs defeated the defending champion Maktown Flyers 74-73 in Sunday’s season opener.
“We won’t rely on our past record against them – it’s a completely new day,” Odaudu added, looking ahead to the clash with Chiefs. “We’ll come out of this with the same mentality and physicality and hopefully take the day.”
Aso Sky Hawks will face defending champions Maktown Flyers in their opening match on Monday by 3pm.
