Afrobasket: D’Tigress crush Rwanda, reach 4th consecutive final

Nigeria’s Senior Women’s Basketball Team, D’Tigress on Thursday pummeled host country Rwanda, 79-48 to reach another final of the ongoing Afrobasket Women’s Championship. The team, who has been dominant in the competition since 2015, are yet to lose any match and are now gunning for their fourth successive title.They have now extended their unbeaten run to 23 games and will next face the winner between Senegal and Mali in the final on Saturday.Amy Okonkwo as usual, unleashed the necessary qualities as she recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and one block to help the team get past Rwanda who had a huge home support.D’Tigress were dominant all through the four quarters of the match recording, 22-6, 22-12, 17-14, and 13-21 to coast home a 79-48 victory.The last time Nigeria lost a game in the Women’s Afrobasket was in 2015 against Cameroon in the semi-finals.In a post-match news conference monitored, the Head Coach of Rwanda, Sheik Caar, admitted that Nigeria is a powerhouse in basketball and that they made three points look easy and they had a 45 percent average.“If you have a team making three points look easy and you only have just one player making points, how are you going to win a team like Nigeria?“We tried but Nigeria is better physically and mentally, indeed they deserve to win and we just have to prepare harder next time,” Caar said.Also speaking, Nigeria’s Head Coach, Rena Wakama, who had just two weeks to prepare the team, expressed happiness over the victory.“It’s a very good feeling I give kudos to the players who gave their best and have done very well to reach another final.“Indeed it’s a great achievement and we look forward to playing in the final and winning the championship trophy,” Wakama said.The D’Tigress’ scorecard in the competition is, 69-35 against Congo, 83-65 against Egypt, 59-52 against Mozambique, and now 79-48 against Rwanda.

FIBA Afrobasket: Nigeria’s D’Tigress maul Egypt, berth quarter-final

The Nigerian senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, demonstrated their prowess once again in the ongoing 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament, securing a convincing victory against Egypt and booking their spot in the quarterfinals. On a Sunday showdown at the BK Arena, D’Tigress unleashed their determination to clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive continental title. They proved their mettle by outplaying Egypt with a resounding 83-65 triumph, ensuring their early qualification to the last eight stage of the tournament. The match witnessed D’Tigress taking control from the outset, gaining an 18-10 lead in the first quarter and extending it further in the second quarter, finishing with a commanding 24-13 advantage. However, the third quarter saw Egypt make a valiant effort to narrow the gap, securing a 19-14 win in that period. As the tension escalated in the fourth quarter, the North Africans fought desperately to regain ground. Yet, D’Tigress exhibited unwavering determination, maintaining their composure and sealing the game with a strong finish. The final quarter ended with a score of 27-23 in favor of D’Tigress, sealing their comprehensive victory at 83-65. The standout performance came from Amy Okonkwo, who led the scoring with an impressive 29 points and 13 rebounds, steering D’Tigress to their well-deserved triumph and securing their spot in the quarterfinals. Murjanatu Musa also shone brightly with her valuable 18-point contribution, while Nicole Enabosi added 10 points to her name, registering double figures. This win marks Nigeria’s third consecutive victory over Egypt, following their previous triumphs in 2015 and 2017. The Nigerian team’s dominant performance has undoubtedly solidified their reputation as a formidable force in women’s basketball in Africa. With Nigeria safely advancing to the quarterfinals, Egypt and DR Congo will now face a challenging qualifying round to determine if they can join Nigeria in the next stage or head back home.