National Division Two Basketball:Hoopers Ogoh Lashes At his Wards

 

Ogoh stressing some points to his players.

Head Coach of Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt, hosts of the 2015 edition of the National Men's division 1 Basketball League, Ogoh Odaudu has berated his players after their Day 2 clash with Raptors of Lagos which they won 72 - 43 on Sunday. On the opening day, Hoopers fired a warning to other competitors with the highest score line so far in the league with a 115 - 43  points win over Osun Lions but failed to replicate same on their second game against the Lagos team thereby giving the coach serious concern about their ambition to host and win the tournament which qualifies two teams, one each from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences to the DSTV League. 

Hoopers' Alalibo helped his team to victory contributing 12 points while Alamina and Orinan had 10 points each to beat the hard fighting Raptors who ensured the hosts struggled all through the game denying them the opportunity to humiliate them like they did to the Osun Lions. First quarter ended 21 - 6 in favour of Hoopers, while Raptors won the second and third quarters 17-15 and 16-15 before the hosts rallied to win convincingly 21-4 points in the last quarter.

Reacting to the performance of his team after the game, Odaudu described it as highly disappointing warning that except Hoopers improves in subsequent games, they risk the chance of picking the sole ticket at stake from the conference especially that there are teams like the Comets also eyeing qualification to the elite league from the Atlantic Conference.

 

 "I am not impressed at all with our play against Raptors especially after starting the tournament well and scoring 115 points in our opening game. The team did not play well at all and had to struggle all through the game. They never played to instruction and were busy doing something else in the court. I told them specifically to relax, get their balls and shoot but they were busy rushing and hasty. The truth is that we have to review our chances by improving if we want to qualify to play in the DSTV League because if they continue like this it will be difficult."

Hoopers clash with Police Bombers Monday and will have their biggest test on Thursday when they meet their biggest threat from the Conference, Comets of Lagos coached by former D' Tigers and national team coach Ayo Bakare in a clash that most likely will determine the leader of Atlantic Conference. Incidentally, Hoopers coach, Ogoh Odaudu was an assistant to Ayo Bakare in the 2013 edition of Afrobasket held in Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire.