D’Tigress demolish Rwanda at the Afrobasket championship 92–45 on Saturday at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, as the defending champions.
Even though the girls had just two days of training and no practice matches, the champions of the last tournament played like a team with no flaws and completely overpowered Rwanda in every quarter 17–8, 28–17, 24–12, and 21–8.
The continuous pace and defense of Nigeria became the main reason for Rwanda’s downfall as they were still not able to solve the defending champions’ intensity.
Elizabeth Balogun was the one who made the most points for Nigeria during the game with 18 points while the team had 5 players that scored in double digits. Victoria Macaulay gave 13, Murjanatu Musa 12, Ifunanya Okoro 11, and Amy Okonkwo 10 points.
In the case of Rwanda, Destiny Promise Philoxy and Keisha Hampton were energetic with their tenacity as they gave each other 11 and 10 points and stayed in the game.
Previously, Senegal team led by the former D’Tigress coach Otis Hughley has easily defeated Guinea 92-48 to gain a position as the competition’s dark horses. Otis Hughley is the coach who led the Nigeria squad that won Women’s Afrobasket for the first time in decades in 2017.
Through their dominant performance in the first game, Nigeria is sending the strongest message: the team they are still the equals that all other teams need to overcome if they want to be the African women’s basketball champions.
