Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress bounced back from their Round of 16 exit with a hard-fought 68–58 win over Argentina in a classification round clash at the ongoing FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czechia.
Still reeling from their 100–71 defeat to Hungary on Wednesday, Juliana Akhere’s side came into the classification stage determined to finish strong in the battle for 9th to 16th place.
The Nigerians controlled the tempo from the outset, edging the first three quarters 19–17, 10–9, and 18–11 respectively, before both teams shared the spoils in an evenly contested fourth quarter (21–21).
Statistically, Nigeria dominated key areas of the game. The West Africans made 22 field goals from 71 attempts and racked up an impressive 50 rebounds, 15 assists, 14 steals, and six blocks. Argentina, on the other hand, managed 21 field goals from 72 attempts, with 37 rebounds, 19 assists, 10 steals, and seven blocks.
Team captain Wandoo Hembam and forward Nora Ezike were Nigeria’s standout performers, each contributing a game-high 17 points. Haminatu Ayodeji added valuable support with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Idubamo Beggi and Abigail Isaac both notched identical returns of eight points and eight rebounds. However, Toby Nweke, who had been prolific in Nigeria’s previous games, was limited to just five points and five rebounds in this encounter.
For Argentina, Julia Bosque led their scoring with 14 points and added eight rebounds. Malena Maggi and Virginia Peralta chipped in with nine and eight points respectively, but it wasn’t enough to stop a determined Nigerian side.
With the win, Nigeria advances to another classification game where they will face the Korea Republic, who defeated Brazil 87–80 in their own placement match.
The Junior D’Tigress now have their sights set on securing a top-12 finish, with ninth place still mathematically possible — a commendable target in a tournament that featured 15 competing nations.