By Queen John
Newly crowned national champions Rivers Hoopers completed a flawless championship campaign late on Tuesday to grab their seventh Nigerian trophy. They were powered by overtime brilliance from the league’s Most Valuable Player Abel Offia to edge out outgoing champions Maktown Flyers 92-90 in a frantic finale on Day Three of the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Four Playoffs.
Although the Hoopers had already sealed the title on Monday and the Flyers were mathematically eliminated from a podium finish, pride and bragging rights fueled an end-to-end spectacle.
Recall that Maktown had snatched the 2025 championship on the Hoopers’ home floor in a 74-72 heartbreaker the previous year, while the Kingsmen were determined not to let Maktown spoil their coronation party.
Maktown opened with relentless energy, building a nine-point advantage at halftime (47-38) as they sought to avoid leaving the Final Four without a win. However, a halftime tactical adjustment and personnel shift by the seven-time national champions completely erased the deficit, as the hosts outscored the Flyers 25-16 in the third period to set up a tense fourth quarter.
With the game tied 80-80 at the end of regulation, Maktown edged ahead early in the overtime. But Offia stepped up with a series of game-clinching plays, scoring 7 of his 14 points in overtime. The tournament MVP sank a clutch jumper to tie the game with under 60 seconds remaining before snatching a steal at midcourt and finishing the decisive layup to seal the victory.
Peter Olisemeka delivered a monstrous double-double inside with 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Tunisian guard Omar Abada pulled the strings with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Victor Sunday chipped in 12 points, Buchi Nwaiwu posted 11 points and 6 boards, and John Idoga provided 10 points and 6 rebounds.
The post-game awards ceremony saw Offia officially named the NPBL Most Valuable Player. Offia was joined on the All-Star Five by teammates Olisemeka and Abada, underlining Rivers Hoopers’ dominance throughout the campaign.
Offia praised the home crowd for fueling their second-half comeback and looked ahead to the continental challenge.
“The fans actually helped us even when we were down by 12 points—they kept cheering for us,” Offia said. “I feel very excited to be heading back to the BAL with the same team. That speaks volumes about Rivers Hoopers as an organization. We’ll try to do something different this time. We want to reach the playoffs first and see how far we can go.”
Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu reflected on reclaiming the national title and securing Nigeria’s lone ticket back to the continental stage.
“We’re very happy,” Odaudu said. “This was exactly what we wanted to do—reclaim our rightful position, and we did that. I’m excited that we’re back at the Basketball Africa League, which is the biggest stage in African club basketball.”
In the day’s earlier fixture, Aso Sky Hawks capped a remarkable debut league season by defeating Gboko City Chiefs 80-75 to claim second place with a 2-1 record and earn the Savannah Conference title. Maktown Flyers were recognized as the Atlantic Conference regular-season champions.
Photo: Champions Rivers Hoopers
