Team Nigeria’s women basketball squad, D’Tigress, ended their campaign at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics gallantly, losing 88-74 in the quarter-final to U.S. women’s basketball team on Wednesday night.
D’Tigress started strong, trailing by just nine points at the end of the first quarter, 26-17. However, the U.S. asserted their dominance in the second quarter, outscoring Nigeria 26-16 and taking a 19-point lead into halftime at 52-33.
In the third quarter, the U.S. extended their lead further, outscoring Nigeria 24-15. Despite being ranked 12th in the world by FIBA, the lowest among the participating teams, the D’Tigress showed resilience and tenacity throughout the game.
Entering the final quarter with a score of 76-48, the Nigerian team outperformed the U.S. 26-12 in the last period, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit, and they ultimately fell short with a final score of 88-74.
The victory was USA’s 59th straight in Olympic play, a streak that dates back to the 1996 Games in Atlanta. With the win, USA advances to face Australia in the semifinal round on Friday as they pursue an eighth straight Olympic gold medal
USA had previously beaten D’Tigress 100-46 in the qualifying.
