Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers ended their participation at the 2024 African Basketball League with the bronze medal after beating Cape Tigers in the third place match on Friday in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Nigerian side started their journey in the Playoff with a win over the former champions, US Monastir to reach the semi-final.
They suffered a narrow defeat to Al Ahly of Libya in the semi-final and were drawn against Cape Town Tigers in the bronze medal game.
Playing at the BK Arena on Friday night, Hoopers started the game strongly and comfortably led 43 points to 29 by halftime.
They dominated the 3rd quarter before wrapping up the game 80 points to 57 and finish third.
Meanwhile, due to the impressive performances of Rivers Hoopers, their coach Ogoh Odaudu has been voted Coach of the Year.
The Nigerian champions proved the bookmakers wrong by coming tops in the Sahara Conference of the League held in Dakar, Senegal.
Hoopers under the tutelage of Odaudu upstaged much-established teams like AS Douanes, APR and the former Champion US Monastir.
The 2024 Coach of the year award was presented by BAL Head of League Operations Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.
A former point guard for the Nigeria national team, Odaudu has become the first Nigerian to win the BAL Coach of the Year award.