This historic accomplishment marks a significant milestone for African basketball on the Olympic stage.

In their final group match, D’Tigress secured a hard-fought 79-70 victory over Canada, despite the latter’s higher world ranking. The Nigerian team, led by coach Rena Wakama, started the game strongly, establishing a 10-point lead at one point. However, they allowed Canada to catch up, resulting in an 18-18 tie at the end of the first quarter.

D’Tigress entered halftime still within striking distance, trailing by only four points (41-37). The African champions then staged a remarkable comeback in the third quarter, taking a 55-46 lead. Nigeria ultimately emerged victorious with a 79-70 win, securing their place in the quarterfinals.

This achievement is particularly impressive considering that D’Tigress arrived at the Olympics as the lowest-ranked team (12th) but have now defeated world number 3 Australia and world number 5 Canada to advance to the knockout stage. Players such as Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah played crucial roles in the team’s success.

D’Tigress’ historic qualification marks the first time an African nation, either male or female, has reached the quarterfinals of the Olympic basketball competition. This milestone underscores the growth and potential of basketball in Africa and serves as an inspiration for other African teams aspiring to make their mark on the global stage.

As D’Tigress prepares for their quarterfinal matchup against the defending champions, the United States, they will undoubtedly draw strength from their remarkable journey so far. The team’s success has not only made history for Nigeria but also for the entire African continent, showcasing the talent and determination of African basketball players on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

First ever African team (Men or Women) to play in #Olympics Basketball Quarter-Finals.

Ladies & Gentlemen Nigeria’s D’Tigress on a MISSION

Full Time Result: Nigeria 79-70 Canada

NGR: 18 19 23 19
CAN: 18 23 5 24

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have just… pic.twitter.com/VPghwZT3xm

— Olt Sports (@oltsport_) August 4, 2024

The post D’Tigress Makes History: First African Team to Reach Olympic Basketball Quarterfinals appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.

Under the guidance of coach Rena Wakama, the team delivered an impressive performance, winning 75-62 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Monday. This marks Nigeria’s first Olympic win since the Athens Games in 2004.

The D’Tigress capitalized on Australian turnovers, showcasing their defensive prowess and taking control of the game in front of a large crowd in Lille. They finished the first half with a remarkable 11-0 run, establishing a 13-point lead as they headed into the locker room.

Although the Australians narrowed the gap to a single shot in the final quarter, Nigerian player Amy Okonkwo calmed the team’s nerves with a crucial three-pointer, helping them regain momentum. While the entire team contributed to this memorable victory, Ezinne Kalu stood out with a stellar performance, scoring 19 points, along with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. This was her first appearance for Nigeria since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Australia struggled throughout the game, committing an astonishing 26 turnovers that resulted in 26 points for Nigeria. This defensive advantage was particularly evident in the first half, where Nigeria capitalized on the Australian mistakes effectively.

Despite a slow start, Nigeria’s defense was impressive, and with this victory, they have positioned themselves as a formidable contender in Group B. The win is a significant boost for African basketball on the Olympic stage. In contrast, Australia appeared disorganized and failed to handle the pressure, ultimately squandering their chances for victory.

Both teams will return to the court on Tuesday, with Nigeria looking to build on their success and Australia aiming to regroup against Puerto Rico.

HISTORICAL.

Nigeria D’Tigress win their first Olympic game in 20 years at #Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/8yRXUo4Mai

— FIBA (@FIBA) July 29, 2024

The post 2024 Paris Olympics: D’Tigress Secures First Olympic Win in 20 Years by Defeating Australia appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.

Nigeria’s women basketball team D’Tigress lost 71-40 to the United States of America (USA) in the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

D’Tigress came up against the reigning world champions for a place in the semifinal of the world cup.

However, they were defeated! D’Tigress took the first quarter lead with a game point of 17-9, however, USA came back in the second quarter as they regained the lead 18-6 to lead 27-23 going into the half time break.

The USA started the second half of the game with intensity, straight two points back to back.

D’Tigress put up a better fight in the third quarter but fell seven points behind as it ended 19-12 and the USA took a massive eleven points into the final quarter.

D’Tigress could not withstand the USA in the fourth quarter as they were outplayed 25-5, to finish at 71-40.

The post FIBA World Cup: How Nigeria’s D’Tigress crashed out of championship appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.

The female basketball team from Nigeria, D’Tigress, defeated Turkey 74-68 after shooting 34 percent from the floor, a marginal increase from the 29 percent they recorded against Australia in their first game.

At the game on Sunday, the Nigerian team out-rebounded Turkey 43-39, outscored them on bench points 30-27, and recorded 14 fast break points to Turkey’s six. The female basketball team who lost to Australia in their first clash, will now face Argentina in the last group B game on Tuesday.

Australia leads Group B with 2 wins, while Turkey and Nigeria tied at second place with 1 win each. Argentina are at the bottom of the group with no win. On Sept. 22, Turkey defeated Argentina 63-37 in a Group B match while Australia beat Nigeria 86-68 in their first game, at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Sixteen teams in four groups are competing in the tournament on the island off Tenerife, set to end on Sept. 30. The group leaders will directly qualify for the quarterfinals, while second- and third-place teams will play an elimination match to advance to the quarterfinals.

Nigeria beat Turkey and earn their first-ever win at a FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup!

Final score: 74-68 #FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/oFy4wSkRHT

— FIBA (@FIBA) September 23, 2018

The post D’Tigress Nigeria beat Turkey 74-68 in 2018 FIBA World Cup appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.

Sam Vincent’s team defeated Senegal 65 – 48 in the final played on Sunday, August 27 and qualified for the World Championships in doing so.

President Buhari while receiving them, announced that each player will receive the sum of a million naira while the officials will receive half a million.

See photos:

The post Photos: President Buhari hosts D’Tigress, gifts each player N1million appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.

D’Tigress won the title on Sunday evening after defeating strong rivals Senegal 65-48 in the final.

Trailing by six points from the first quarter, the Nigerians fought back to win the second quarter 21-10 points. D’Tigress never looked back as they extended their lead by winning the third quarter 15-7 points and the fourth quarter 17-13 points.

Point guard, Osaretin Ekhator, emerged top performer for Nigeria with 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Following their victory, Nigeria also qualified for the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Spain next year.

The post Nigeria’s D’Tigress emerge African Champions appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.

The Nigerian women national team basketball team, will be camping on two fronts, with home-based players and some others holidaying in the country scheduled to start training in Lagos, while their foreign-based counterparts will converge in Orlando, Florida, United States.

The team would be coached by former national team manager, Sam Vincent, who will start the preparations with the Florida-based side.

The Lagos camp will be supervised by First Bank’s Peter Favour Ahmedu and Ochuko Okorogun of Dolphins.

D’Tigress, two-time African champions, are drawn in group B with Senegal, Egypt, Guinea and Mozambique.

The post FIBA Afrobasket 2017 : D’Tigress open camp in Lagos appeared first on PURE ENTERTAINMENT.