D'Tigress, Nigeria's senior female basketball team, defeated their Canadian opponents 79-70 on Sunday to advance to the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time ever.
The Nigerian team made history in their last Group B match in the Women's Basketball Tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympics, held at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in France.
The game was at a tie, with both sides sharing 18 points each at the end of the first quarter.
Going into the second quarter, D'Tigress trailed their Canadian opponents by 41–37.
With their eyes set on making history and moving to the last eight of the Olympics tournament, D'Tigress intensified their attack and led 55-46 before sealing their historic performance with a 79-70 victory at the end of the game.
Ezinne Kalu, the Nigerian team's point guard and three-time Afrobasket champion, was a standout performer, scoring 21 points and appearing practically everywhere on the court. The victory was a happy moment for head coach Rene Wakama, who had challenged the African champions to resume their winning ways before their game against Canada.
