Ajegbeyi’s Double Gives Hoopers Edge Over Hoops & Read

Adegbeyi

Solomon Ajegbeyi led Rivers Hoopers to an 81-75 points victory over visiting Hoops & Read in overtime at the Basketball Court in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

Ajegbeyi recorded his second double-double of the season since moving to the Port Harcourt side, finishing with 14 points, 19 rebounds and a block.

Four other players also finished in double figures in the victory over Hoops & Read. Victor James scored 14 points, 5 rebounds and made 4 steals, Emmanuel Balogun had 14 points, 2 rebounds and 4 steals.

Ikechukwu Benjamin contributed 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals while Tano Emuhowo added 11 points and 8 rebounds in exhilarating contest.

Hoops & Read attacked brilliantly, got to the rim at will, gathering 21 points in the first quarter. However, the game recorded certain inconsistencies leaving the game to be tied at 10 different times all through game. 4-4  (7:30), 7-7 (5:30), 30-30 (5:59), 34-34 (3:34), 53-53 (0:20), 60-60 (5:44), 62-62 (5:54), 64-64 (4:27) 67-67(3:28), and 69-69 at the end of regulation time.

There was a twist in the second quarter as Hoopers were able to weather the storm leading 41-34 at half time and then Ajegbeyi had helped defensively with nine rebounds as his energy and determination propelled Hoopers to a hard fought victory.

The newly promoted side thought they had the opportunity to win the game late in regulation time after the game had gone into another tie with seven seconds left to play. But they could only convert two out of the three free throws won and later tied the game at 69-69.

Former champions, Hoopers prevailed in overtime scoring 12 points and capitalizing on the seeming exhaustion of the youthful newly promoted side from Lagos, leaving them with no answers to questions thrown at them.

It is believed that the Port Harcourt side would have had more baskets if they had not committed 25 turnovers and missing 11  of their 33 free throws in the game.

Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu believed experience played a major role in his side’s victory over Hoops & Read.

“This is where experience kicks in you could tell for the most part of the overtime, we didn't score free baskets we were just scoring from the free throw line. They had four collective fouls, we took advantage of that and I asked my boys to keep fouling them and that worked for us,” Odaudu admitted.

Hoopers were able to score only 5 of their 28 shots from the 3 point line all through the game. Asked what factor was responsible for his side’s poor shooting on the day, the Benue-born coach rather took positives from the victory.

‘’If you had come to watch the game against NAF Rockets you would tell today we had a  bad shooting day which happens in every game even in football games it happens to a striker. There is no cause for alarm because the most important thing is that we won.” Odaudu concluded.

Hoops & Read coach Charles Oso expressed his disappointment after the game.

“We had the opportunity to get a free throw shot but we couldn't take it all. If you notice, when we played our last offense, we tried to slow down the game and attack on 8 seconds but because it’s an inexperience side, a young team, they quickly took the ball into the paint and we had a turn over, besides that I think we would have won the game,” said Oso

Rivers Hoopers will next play against Delta Force on Thursday, May 11 in Port Harcourt.