Rivers Hoopers boss, Ogoh Odaudu says their victory over Niger Potters at the opening day of the NBBF President Cup was not “an easy” one.
Odaudu spoke exclusively to aclsports.com after their emphatic win on Wednesday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere.
In their opening encounter at the NBBF President Cup, tagged Final 8, the Hoopers proved just too strong for the Potters from Niger.
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The Rivers State-based side powered to a dominating 107-53 win over the Potters in what was the third game of the day at the President Cup.
Speaking exclusively to www.aclsports.com moments after their match, and obviously elated coach Odaudu tried to play down their win by saying it was not as easy as the scoreline suggests.
“It was not an easy game, ” Odaudu began. “I don’t think any game is an easy game. (Niger) Potters are not an easy team. They finished second in their group in Ilorin. So, you can tell that they are not an easy team.”
“But we did our best, we just decided to do the good things – the little things we needed to do and we did them very well.”
“Our minds made up that we were going to take the game as it comes and that was exactly what we did.”
The game was a three-point clinic from Hoopers, who scored 45 of their 107 points from the three-point line.
However, while it is part of their everyday routine as inculcated into the team by their coach, Odaudu, he says ball movement was, however, the key to their impressive victory over Potters.
“It (shooting from the three-point line) is something I have inculcated in all my teams from the get-go, we practice a lot, ” he added.
“But it (the key against Potters) was a lot of ball movements. Our movement was perfect. The first half alone we had 22 assists and our three-pointers were dropping. Everyone was making three points – even down to our center. So, that was the key.”
Emmanuel Balogun led the way from the three-point line, making four of nine attempts, while Ronald Alalibo made three of six attempts.
