Owen Oriakhi led the way once more with the most points and, his supporting cast did plenty to take the pressure off, and the Nigeria champions Kwara Falcons beat the Rivers Hoopers 57-50 on Friday night to qualify to the finals of the Louis Edem Foundation Invitation Basketball Championship.
With Tolani and Owen leading the back court, it looked like the Kwara Falcons would cruise to an easy victory over the struggling Rivers Hoopers, but poor shooting and an energetic effort by the Rivers Hoopers players made this a surprisingly competitive game.
It was evident that both teams were on the back end of a back-to-back as the first half was filled sloppy plays from the Hoopers. The Falcons were able to find the range through the first two periods as they shot just 55% from the field. Owen Oriakhi, the league’s best marksman, didn’t struggle to show why the Kwara Falcons did everything to get him on their roster, hitting all four of his long balls and only connecting on six field goal in seven tries. The Falcons stifling defense by Austin kept them in it as they totaled 15 points in the half.
The third quarter wasn’t much better for the Kwara Falcons with careless passing, the Falcons allowed the Hoopers to remain in the game. Hoopers rattled off 10 straight points to end the game, partly fueled by four consecutive turnovers by Kwara Falcons .
The fourth quarter went back and forth as the Falcons and Hoopers exchanged baskets. With around 5:30 left in the fourth, Owen Oriakhi hit back-to-back threes and a go-ahead layup just to add more to the injuries of the Hoopers. The Falcons finally pulled away in the final minutes of the game, and the Hoopers were forced to pledge their respect to the Falcons.
