Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress will take on Hungary today in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Brno, Czechia, following a 79-61 defeat to Portugal in their final group-stage game on Tuesday.
The loss came after a heavy 113-42 defeat to Canada in their second group match, dealing a blow to the team’s momentum after they began their debut campaign with a thrilling 93-88 victory over China.
Coached by Juliana Akhere, the West Africans finished third in Group B and struggled again against Portugal, plagued by turnovers, poor three-point shooting, and missed free throws. Portugal dominated three of the four quarters, with the third ending in an 18-18 draw. The Iberian side attempted 71 field goals to Nigeria’s 57 and converted 28 compared to Nigeria’s 18.
Portugal also outclassed Nigeria in team statistics — posting 22 assists, 54 rebounds, 14 steals, and seven blocks. In contrast, Nigeria managed 13 assists, 40 rebounds, 10 steals, and just one block.
Clara Silva, a former Kentucky player and TCU recruit, led the charge for Portugal with a dominant double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds. She was well supported by Leonor Peixinho (16 points), Marta Rodrigues (14), and Maria Andorinho (11).
For Nigeria, Idubamo Beggi of MFM Queens led the scoring with 17 points and six assists. Toby Nweke added 16 points, while Nora Ezike (Stanford) and Abigail Isaac chipped in with nine and six points respectively.
Despite the setbacks, all 16 participating nations progress to the knockout stage. Hungary, who finished second in Group A behind the USA, will be Nigeria’s next opponent. The Hungarians posted two wins from three games, beating Israel and Korea Republic but losing to the Americans.
A win for Junior D’Tigress would see them advance to the quarter-finals, while a loss would relegate them to the classification rounds for 9th to 16th place.