Nigeria, April 6 -- Rivers Hoopers made a bold statement in their opening game of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Season 5, defeating Stade Malien of Mali in convincing fashion with a final score of 81-60 in the Kalahari Conference opener held in Rabat, Morocco.

After a slow start that saw the Nigerian champions trailing by seven points at the end of the first quarter (16-23), the Hoopers found their rhythm and never looked back.

Led by Kelvin Amayo, who scored 19 points, the team turned the tide before halftime, taking a 41-35 lead into the break.

By the third quarter, the KingsMen had built a commanding 62-47 lead, and they closed out the game with a dominant fourth quarter, limiting Stade Malien to 13 points while piling on 19 of...