Rivers Hoopers hand Maktown Flyers 1st defeat of 2026 NPBL season 

Rivers Hoopers hand Maktown Flyers 1st defeat of 2026 NPBL season 

Six-time Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers used a dominant 26-8 third quarter to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a commanding thirteen-point victory, as they beat 2025 champions Maktown Flyers 74-61 in Game Six of the ongoing 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL), Phase Two. 

With Thursday's victory at the Indoor Hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Enugu State, the KingsMen handed the defending champions their first loss of the 2026 season in what was the first meeting between both sides since the Flyers narrowly edged Hoopers by two points to claim the 2025 NPBL title.

Trailing by four points at halftime, the KingsMen outscored Maktown 26-8 in the third period to seize control of the game and keep their opponents at arms length for the remainder of the contest. 

"We had to go back to the drawing board," said Rivers Hoopers guard Duro-Ladipo Olatoye, who finished with 12 points. "We understood that yesterday was just one of those games where we weren't making our shots, so we came out hot today, and it worked for us."

John Idoga led the Hoopers' scoring with 17 points, while Abel Offia and Victor Sunday contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Rivers Hoopers interim head coach Ronald Alalibo credited his team’s halftime adjustments for the turnaround after a sluggish second quarter.

"During the first-half break, I instructed the players to stick to our structure and style of play," Alalibo said. "They stuck to the plan, and it worked.

"We tried our best to push ourselves because we're fatigued both physically and mentally, and it's affecting the players' movement and decision-making. It's not easy playing back-to-back games with such intensity."

The KingsMen will conclude their Phase Two campaign on Friday against Lagos Raptors. Rivers Hoopers hold a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over the Raptors this season, including a narrow 77-76 victory during Phase One in Ibadan, which happened after two free throws converted in the final second. 

Toye was part of that nail-biting finish but expects a better showing on Friday despite lingering issues of fatigue. 

"Everyone has played the same amount of games here in Enugu, so fatigue will be an issue for both sides," Olatoye added ahead of Friday's contest. "But having met this opponent before, we've spoken about the game and hope to come out victorious."

On his part, Alalibo emphasized that his team cannot afford complacency despite their unbeaten run against their next opponents.

"We'll approach the game with the same mentality, trying to correct our mistakes and give nothing away," Alalibo said. "Knowing that we only beat them narrowly during our last meeting in Ibadan, we don't want to take any chances. We will try to get our acts together and close out the game early."