D’Tigress produced a dominant second-half display to defeat the Philippines 101–84 at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France.
The African champions recovered from a slow start and a halftime deficit to claim their second victory in three games at the tournament.
Nigeria struggled to assert control in the early stages as the Philippines edged the opening quarter 26–21 and maintained their momentum in the second period, which they won 25–21 to take a 51–42 lead into halftime.
Photo Credit: FIBA/X
However, coach Rena Wakama saw her team respond strongly after the break.
D’Tigress raised their intensity in the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 34–21 to overturn the deficit and swing the momentum in their favour.
Nigeria continued their dominance in the final quarter, adding another 25–12 run to close out the contest in convincing fashion.
The statistics reflected Nigeria’s control of the game, with D’Tigress winning the rebounding battle 58–33 and recording 36 assists compared to the Philippines’ 24.
Several players contributed to the victory, including forward Victoria Macaulay and experienced guard Ezinne Kalu, who helped orchestrate the team’s offensive play.
Photo Credit: FIBA/X
Other contributors included Nicole Enabosi, Elizabeth Balogun, Murjanatu Musa and Ifunanya Okoro.
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The win marked a strong response from Nigeria after their 77–60 defeat to the South Korea women’s national basketball team earlier in the tournament.
Despite the setback, Nigeria had already secured qualification for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after winning a record fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025.
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The qualifying tournament therefore serves primarily as preparation for the global event scheduled to take place later this year in Berlin, Germany.
