NBBF Premier League: Hoops N’ Read, Rivers Hoopers book final 8 ticket
Hoops N’ Read are through to the fiinal 8 of the NBBF abridged Basketball Premier League alongside defending champions Rivers Hoopers after Match Day 4 games were concluded on Wednesday at the basketball court of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo State.
Thanks to their 91-75 points win over Delta Force Basketball Club of Asaba without dropping a quarter.
It was a sweet and comfortable slamming from start to finish for Hoops N’ Read that had taken down Oluyole Warriors, Ebun Comets and 2022 champion Kwara Falcons before meeting Delta Force that were not a force to reckon with on the day.
The Lagos base team squeezed past the South South warriors with a slim 1 points margin in the opening quarter with Delta Force eying it’s second win in the League, 21-20 it ended.
Hoops N’ Read came on stronger in the second quarter with more firepower to create a more wider margin as the basketball sensations from The Big Heart, kept the scores at 32-38.
The third quarter charred the way into the Final 8 for Hoops N’ Read with Delta Force’s strength fading away with, losing by a 20 points margin.
A revitalized Hoops N’ Read using fast breakes as the lethal weapon slammed in 33 points in the third quarter entering the fourth quarter with 71-51 points on the scoreboard.
Delta Force’s efforts in turning the table in the final quarter bore no fruit with Hoops N’ Read sealing the game 91-75 points.
They now join Rivers Hoopers in the Final 8 with two more slots left on the cart.
Defending champions Rivers Hoopers secured their passege into the final eight of the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League after a 94-50 victory over Ebun Comets on Wednesday.
The head coach Ogoh Odaudu did some rotation, resting some key players.
”That was our target from the beginning. We are happy we have accomplished it, but we still have a long way to go because we are trying to get better, and we are happy we are in the final 8.”
”We will take each game as they come and win every game because there is an incentive for us for every game we win, so we don’t want to throw away money like that,” Odaudu said.
The joy of reaching the final 8 is a virus that is spreading rapidly among the players, expressing his happiness was Bolaji Emilagba, a new, but key member of Hoops N’ Read.
Emilagba, who joined Hoops N’ Read at the start of the Premier League, stressed that it’s been an exciting and thrilling stay with Hoops N’ Read right from the start.
“It’s been an interesting journey, our first game was a bit shaky and tough, we had to get the win no matter what, a win is a win, but we were able to pick it up from the second game which we won with a good margin and then the third game was a bang, it was great, winning with a high 46 points gap, so we’ve been banking on that energy and we picked up our fourth win today.
“We are just starting to have fun, to feel comfortable and that’s something we would like to maintain going forward, with three more game on the cart,” he explained.
Bolaji Emilagba who played in the 2024 Basketball Africa League with third place Rivers Hoopers, further emphasized that he will use every straw of his knowledge and experience to boost the young and talented squad.
“The mission is to qualify for BAL thats why I’m here and that’s what we will do, the team has the strength and talent to qualify for BAL and to make our name known there, because that’s where the real business lies,” said.
He added that Atlantic Conference was used as training ground to sharpen the team’s outstanding performance and the game against Rivers Hoopers is the ultimate test.
“Right now, with the various conference games we are building chemistry and teamwork with our mind focused on the big test to come our way, Rivers Hoopers, a match that will tell how far we’ve come and how we can go,” he concluded.
Hoops N’ Read will lock horns with police baton on Thursday (Today) who drowned Lagos Legends on Match Day 4
