Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, outclassed Australia with a 13-point margin, 75-62, in their Paris 2024 Olympics women’s basketball Group B opener on Monday, July 29, securing their first win of the campaign, Completesports.com reports.
The last time D’Tigress won was when they defeated South Korea 68-64 in the classification game of Athens 2004 Olympics.
Also Read: Nigeria’s D’Tigress Target First Olympic Win in 20 Years At Paris 2024
Despite being ranked 12th in the world, coach Rena Wakama’s side proved critics wrong. They started strong, edging the 3rd-ranked Australia 18-17 in the first quarter and then extending their lead to 41-28 before halftime.
Although the Opals rallied to close the deficit in the third quarter, D’Tigress maintained their lead at 51-47. The fourth quarter saw the dominance of the Nigerian team, who finished with a score of 75-62.
Nigeria’s Ezinne Kalu scored 19 points, while the Opals’ Alanna Smith scored 15 points.
D’Tigress’ victory marked the end of their losing streak since they began competing in the Olympics in 2004.
During their outing at the Athens 2004 Olympics, they suffered losses in all five of their group matches against Australia, Japan, Greece, Brazil, and Russia but managed to win one against South Korea, becoming the first African team to triumph in a match at the global multi-sport showcase.
By Dotun Omisakin
Source: www.completesports.com
