After a thrilling 92-88 victory over US Monastir at the ongoing Basketball Africa League (BAL) tournament in Kigali, Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu emphasized the team’s focus on offensive play.

This strategic shift came in response to their earlier seeding game loss against AS Douanes, which Odaudu attributed to bad luck rather than poor performance.

In an interview with Brila.net, the Coach explained the necessity of restrategizing as opposing teams had thoroughly analyzed their gameplay.

“There was nothing we did differently,” Odaudu stated. “This was the kind of basketball we played in Dakar. The seeding game against AS Douanes was just a bad day at the office. Our shots weren’t dropping, and everything worked for them.”

Odaudu highlighted the deliberate offensive approach taken in the game against US Monastir.

“We stepped up our offense and were deliberate with our plays. We slowed the ball down to execute and run the plays designed for us. We noticed that in the game against Senegal, they had scouted us well, so we had to add some new elements to our strategy, which you saw manifest.”

The victory marked a historic moment for Rivers Hoopers, as they qualified for the semi finals of the BAL for the first time.

“It’s a great feeling for us. We’re happy to be in the semifinals and will enjoy this moment,” Odaudu said.

“Now, we’ll go back to work and start preparing for the semifinals.”

The Nigerian champions will play Al Ahly Libya for a berth in the final of the tournament while keeping an eye on Cape Town vs Petro Luanda who face off in the other semi-final of the tournament.

The final will be played on the first day of June.