The Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2025 season kicked off on Saturday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sporting Complex, with Rivers Hoopers securing a solid 81-60 victory over Stade Malien.
The game started with some early jitters, as both teams struggled to find rhythm. Stade Malien appeared more organized in the opening quarter, taking a 23-16 lead, thanks to Mahamane Coulibaly’s impressive 12-point contribution. Coulibaly would go on to finish as the game’s top scorer with 20 points.
Rivers Hoopers head coach, Ogoh Odaudu, addressed his team’s slow start in the post-match press conference: “I think what happened in the first quarter was just the jitters of the first game… It was a good thing that we got our act together when we needed to.”
“We are not playing at the level that we want to play at right now,” he added, acknowledging room for improvement.
The Nigerian side found their rhythm in the second quarter. A hook shot from Canadian forward Kelvin Amayo put Rivers Hoopers ahead 24-23 early in the period. After a Stade Malien timeout, the lead changed hands several times. American Raphiael Putney, who had a quiet start, came alive late in the second quarter, contributing both offensively and defensively. His energy helped Rivers Hoopers finish the half with a 41-35 advantage.
The third quarter saw Rivers Hoopers pull away, extending their lead to 62-47. Amayo, Putney, Madut Akec, and Peter Olisemeka became too much for Stade Malien to handle, with each player playing a pivotal role.
In the final quarter, Rivers Hoopers continued their dominant play, with Shamba Maxi Munanga adding 11 points, becoming the fourth player in double figures for the game. Amayo led the scoring with 19 points, followed by Akec with 16 and Putney with 14.
Olisemeka led the game in rebounds with 12, while Akec also recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds. For Stade Malien, Mouhamed Doumbya finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Although it wasn’t their most polished performance, Rivers Hoopers, last season’s third-place finishers, made a strong statement with this opening win.
Next, Rivers Hoopers will face FUS Rabat, the hosts of the Kalahari Conference, who started their tournament with a 71-60 loss to Al Ittihad.
