Nigeria’s D’Tigress Defeat Australia 75-62 in Paris Olympics Basketball

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, won against Australia’s Opals with a score of 75-62 at the Paris Olympics. Point guard Ezinne Kalu played a key role, helping her team hold off Australia’s late push at Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Monday.

This win was Nigeria’s first Olympic victory since the Athens 2004 Games. Kalu scored 19 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, leading Nigeria to beat the third-best team in the world.

Australia started strong, quickly taking a 13-5 lead with Jade Melbourne and Ezi Magbegor leading the attack. However, D’Tigress, who are competing in their second consecutive Summer Games, fought back. Kalu’s impressive performance helped them lead 18-17 after the first quarter.

Kalu continued to lead in the second quarter, and with help from Amy Okonkwo and Elizabeth Balogun, Nigeria went into halftime with a surprising 41-28 lead. Australia struggled with 16 turnovers, while Nigeria only had eight in the first half.

In the second half, the Opals tried to close the gap. They reduced Nigeria’s lead to just four points by the final quarter. With six minutes left, Australia trailed by only two points but then missed crucial free throws. Promise Amukamara made her free throws for Nigeria and assisted Okonkwo for a three-pointer, pushing Nigeria’s lead to seven points.

This lead allowed Nigeria to control the game and secure the win. D’Tigress will play against host France on Thursday and face Canada, ranked fifth in the world, next Monday in their Group B matches.