D’Tigress fall to a 46-100 loss against USA

D’Tigress, postponed their 2024 Olympics qualification in Paris after a heavy defeat of 100-46 at the hands of world champions the USA on day two of the qualifying rounds in Belgium.

At the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying in Belgium on Thursday, the six-time women’s Afrobasket champions overcame Senegal 72-65 in their opening game of Group A. On Friday, in front of a boisterous Antwerp crowd, they were defeated by the reigning world champions.

In a game in which the D’Tigress needed a win to seal their Olympic qualification, the USA got off to an early lead after taking the first quarter 19–13.

D’Tigress struggled to cope with the Americans as they extended their six-point advantage to an emphatic 32-7 victory in the second quarter, taking the game to a 51-20 scoreline at halftime.

D’Tigress, who have won the Women’s Afrobasket Championship four times in a row, attempted to get back into the game following the intermission but were once more punished by the USA team’s three-point shooting, losing the third quarter 24–15.

The US’s supremacy and prowess were just too hot for the eleventh-ranked Nigerian team to handle as they yet again stumbled to an 11-25 fourth quarter beating.

Despite Murjanatu Musa notching 13 points for D’Tigress, they still fell to a 100-46 defeat, which is their first loss under new head coach and former player Rena Wakama, who was on a six-game winning run prior to today’s encounter.

Nigeria will hope for things to go in their favour when Senegal play Belgium in the other group game later tonight.

They will next meet Belgium in their last group game on Saturday.