BREAKING: D’Tigress Bounce Back To Beat Philippines At FIBA World Cup Qualifiers
D’TIGRESS of Nigeria secured their second victory at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France last night, overcoming the Philippines 101-84 after a second-half surge.
The African champions, who have earned a World Cup ticket, returned to winning ways after going down to South Korea on Thursday.
D’Tigress had to dig deep to overturn a double-digit deficit to defeat the Philippines in Group A action at Astroballe in Villeurbanne.
The Philippines led for more than 22 minutes and built a 10-point cushion in the first half, but D’Tigress seized control after the break.
With 12 lead changes and both teams trading blows through three quarters, D’Tigress pulled away in the final period to secure a convincing victory.
Midway through the third quarter, D’Tigress erased a five-point gap with a 17-12 run, tying the game at 67-67 on a turnaround jump shot by forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah with 3:06 left in the period.
Guards Ifunanya Okoro and Elizabeth Balogun combined for 9 points during this stretch, while Promise Amukamara added 4 rebounds and 2 points.
The Philippines tried to answer with three-pointers from Janine Pontejos and Louna Ozar, but Nigeria’s relentless inside scoring gave them a 70-67 lead heading into the final quarter.
Centre Victoria Macaulay anchored D’Tigress’ turnaround, finishing with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in just over 21 minutes.
She shot efficiently from deep and from the line, and her +13 plus/minus reflected her impact during Nigeria’s decisive second-half run.
Forward Murjanatu Musa nearly posted a triple-double, contributing 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Nicole Enabosi added 15 points and 12 rebounds, including a 9-point burst in under three minutes of the opening quarter.
