Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress bounced back from their round of 16 exit at the ongoing FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czech Republic, with a spirited 68-58 win over Argentina in a classification round encounter.
The victory, which pushes Nigeria into the fight for a top-12 finish, came after their defeat to Hungary earlier in the week. From the onset, the Nigerian side showed resilience and intent, securing slim but consistent leads in the first three quarters: 19-17, 10-9, and 18-11. The final quarter ended evenly at 21 points apiece.
Statistically, the team had a commendable performance, attempting 71 field goals and converting 22. They also racked up 50 rebounds, 15 assists, 14 steals, and six blocks, outclassing their South American counterparts in most departments.
Nora Ezike and team captain Wandoo Hembam were standout performers, both scoring 17 points. Haminatu Ayodeji added 11 points and eight rebounds, while Idubamo Beggi and Abigail Isaac each recorded eight points and eight rebounds. Toby Nweke, who had previously hit double digits in scoring, was limited to five points and five rebounds.
On the Argentine side, Julia Bosque led the scoring with 14 points and eight rebounds. Malena Maggi and Virginia Peralta followed with nine and eight points, respectively.
Nigeria will next face Korea Republic, who defeated Brazil 87-80 in their own classification match. With the win over Argentina, Nigeria is now in the race to finish as high as ninth, guaranteeing they will not place at the bottom of the 15 participating nations.
