D’Tigress Bounce Back With Convincing 101–84 Win Over Philippines in World Cup Qualifier
Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, returned to winning ways with a 101–84 victory over the Philippines in their FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying game at the Astroballe Indoor Sports Arena in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
The Nigerian side produced a strong second-half display to secure the 17-point win, responding well after their earlier defeat to South Korea women’s national basketball team.
Victoria Macaulay played a key role in the victory, finishing as Nigeria’s top scorer with 16 points. Six players from the Nigerian team ended the game with double figures.
Marjanatu Musa also impressed once again, recording a game-high 12 rebounds and providing eight assists, while Nicole Enabosi contributed 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Despite promising to bounce back after the loss to South Korea, the team coached by Rena Wakama had to work hard for the result. The Philippines fought back after Nigeria’s early control and won the first two quarters to go into halftime with the lead.
D’Tigress, however, responded in the third quarter. They erased a double-digit deficit with a 17–12 run to level the scores at 67–67 before moving three points ahead heading into the final quarter.
Nigeria dominated the last period, outscoring their opponents 25–12. An early 9–0 run in the quarter helped the African champions take full control and seal the win.
With the result, Nigeria now share the top spot in the group with South Korea after three matches and will face hosts France women’s national basketball team in their next game on Sunday.
