It’s been a long time coming for the Nigerian Women’s Basketball team, also known as the “Nigerian D’Tigress.” After going back and forth with the Australian Opals, Team Nigeria beat the Australian Women’s Basketball team with a massive 13-point margin (75-62) to begin the preliminary rounds for the 2024 Paris Olympics Group B. Also, this is Team Nigeria’s first win Olympic win since Athens 2004. Finally, Ezinne Kalu’s stellar performance led the Nigerian Women’s team to its debut Paris Olympic win. Thus, what were some critical takeaways from this game?
Ezinne Kalu’s Performance Against Australia Opals
Team Australia started dominating the game in the first quarter. However, five minutes into the first quarter, Ezinne Kalu made a three-point jumper assisted by Elizabeth Balogun to put the Nigerian team close to the lead 13-11. But that wasn’t enough as the Australian women’s team maintained the lead.
The Australian team continued putting pressure on the Nigerian D’Tigress’ offensive as the first quarter got intense. Despite the Aussies’ defensive efforts, Ezinne Kalu’s offensive prowess prevailed. The Nigerian guard made a three-point jumper with one minute left in the first quarter that ended with Team Nigeria taking the lead 18-17. However, the drama just began as Kalu exploded in the second quarter.
The Turning Point
Team Nigeria and Australia entered the second quarter with a difference of one point in the score box, therefore it was easy for Team Australia to take the lead again. The Opals led in the first four minutes of the second quarter until Ezinne Kalu reminded the Opals that she was still on the court. The 32-year-old guard made an explosive jumper to tie Team Nigeria 22-22.
Despite being tied, the Opals took the lead with a three-point jumper from Sami Whitcomb. On the other hand, Kalu wasn’t done as her next performance became the focal point that had an impact on Team Nigeria’s game. As the game got intense, Kalu’s offensive pressure became overwhelming for the Opals.
With three minutes left in the second quarter, Kalu made a three-point jump shot assisted by Promise Amukamara which ended up being a four-point play. Thus moving forward, this performance solidified the D’Tigress lead against the Opals 27-25. Also, after Kalu’s offensive impact, the Opals couldn’t keep up with the D’Tigress offensively.
Key Takeaways As Team Nigeria Clinched Their Victory
Ezinne Kalu switched her offensive role to playmaker in the second half of the game to maintain Nigeria’s lead. After displaying a stellar 3-and-D performance on the court, the 32-year-old guard led the team with 19 points, five assists, five rebounds, and three steals at the end of the game. Also, she made 50% of her shots in the field (5-of-10) with 4-of-6 attempts from downtown and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
However, after the game, Nigeria’s shooting efficiency was lower than the Opals. From the field, the Nigerian team shot 35.3%, while the Australian team shot 38.5%. Further, from downtown, the D’Tigress made 31%, while the Opals made 37% of their attempts. Thus, why did Team Nigeria win?
Australian Opals Major Setbacks
Team Australia missed most of their free throws throughout the game The Opals shot 44.4% from the foul line, while Team Nigeria made 85.7% of their free throws. Also, Australia committed many fouls in the fourth quarter which helped the D’Tigress offensively. The Nigerian Guard Promise Amukamara could draw fouls in the fourth quarter as she made 10-of-10 free throws, seconded by Kalu who went 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
Finally, the Nigerian team HAD more steals (15) than the Opals (9) which they converted into crucial points to maintain the momentum of the game. Also, Team Australia had more turnovers that put the odds in Nigeria’s favor to clinch their first Olympic win since 2004. These little details affected the overall outcome of the game. Nigeria will play against the host nation, France, on August 1.
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