The Nigerian female senior basketball team, D’Tigress, has secured a ticket for next year’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, Australia, after qualifying for final of the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Women’s tournament.
To secure a ticket for next year’s tournament, the D’Tigress defeated their Senegalese opponent by 73-63 during a semi-final encounter that determines one of Africa’s slots for the world cup.
During the match played at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports in Yaounde, Cameroon’s capital, the Nigerian female team led in three quarters and lost the fourth after their opponent changed their playing style.
Amy Okonkwo, off the bench, led the scoring with 16 points in 17 minutes of action. Ify Ibekwe added 14 points while Adaora Elonu made 12 points. Victoria Macaulay and Okonkwo led the team on rebounds with seven. Mame-Marie Sy-Diop was the highest points maker in the match with 18 points.
At the post-match conference yesterday, the Nigerian team’s manager, Otis Hughley, described the match as an improved edition as against the previous which they won with ease.
Hughley said: “The next time is even tougher because you are the target. You are the one why everyone goes and recruits players, we got to be better than them. To me, the field, the talent load of all the teams we played against is better than what I saw last year.
“I will say I am humbled by how the girls dug deep and fought through the fight, because that was a fight. They (Senegal) were very physical and the girls met that fight.”
Also speaking on her performance during the match, Okonkwo said: “We have been together since May so my older girls and more experienced players have consistently been in my ears, giving me confidence; telling me to keep playing.
“Just the chemistry that our team has and the love; the work for everybody to be better in practice, off the court. The sisterhood and the camaraderie just make me wanna play so much harder for my team and do everything in my power to make sure I’m giving everything when I step onto the court.”
The D’Tigress would be facing the Malian female team, who edged out the host Cameroon by a slim margin, 52-51, in the final on Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports in Yaounde.
