Nigeria’s quest for a semifinal spot at the ongoing Afrobasket Championship in Luanda, Angola, came to an end on Wednesday after a 91–75 defeat to Senegal.
The result came barely a month after Nigeria’s D’Tigresses had beaten Senegal in the women’s final of the competition.
This time, the West African rivals got their revenge on the men’s stage.
D’Tigers started brightly, edging the first quarter 24-23. But Senegal responded strongly in the second quarter with a 30-18 run, opening up a commanding 53-42 lead at halftime.
The third quarter further compounded Nigeria’s woes as they trailed 23-13, leaving them with too much ground to cover. Though they rallied late to take the fourth quarter 20-15, it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
NBA star Josh Okogie, who had dazzled in the group stage with 33 points, was effectively neutralised, managing just four points in the encounter.
Senegal’s Brancou Badio emerged as the standout performer, contributing 32 points and recording an efficiency rating of 29 per cent.
Despite the setback, Nigeria still hold the edge in the all-time head-to-head record between both countries, leading 5-4.
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