Nigeria’s girls’ basketball team, Junior Tigress, pulled off a stunning 66-51 victory over reigning silver medalists, Egypt to secure a spot in the semifinals of the African U18 Basketball Championship.
The team advanced to the last eight as one of the two best third-place finishers from the Group Phase and made a strong statement with their performance.
J’Tigress dominated from the onset, led by standout player, Abigail Isaac, who delivered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Idubamo Beggi also played a crucial role, contributing 13 points and 7 assists, while Wandoo Marvis added 7 assists of her own.
Nigeria took control of the game by winning the first three quarters 24-13, 13-10, and 17-13. Although Egypt fought back in the fourth quarter, outscoring Nigeria 15-12, it was too little, too late. This victory was especially sweet for J’Tigress, who had previously lost to Egypt 72-60 in their opening group game.
“I feel excited and grateful that we’ve come this far. After the team acclimatized, they returned to their true form,” said an elated coach, Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu.
Next, Junior DTigress will face Uganda, who defeated Tunisia 69-53. Uganda had previously beaten Nigeria 80-64 in their final group game, setting up another opportunity for Nigeria to seek revenge. A win would secure J’Tigress one of Africa’s two spots in next year’s FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Switzerland.
