Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress suffered another setback at the ongoing FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup after losing 85-79 to South Korea in a classification match on Friday in Debrecen, Hungary.
The game was a tightly contested affair, but Nigeria came up short despite a late fourth-quarter rally. South Korea started strongly, taking the first quarter 25-20. The Nigerians regrouped in the second quarter, displaying better defensive coordination to win the quarter 19-16, cutting the deficit to just two points at halftime.
However, the third quarter proved pivotal. Korea regained their composure and took control of the game, outscoring Nigeria 27-18. That stretch ultimately created the cushion they needed, entering the final quarter with a 10-point lead.
Nigeria responded with urgency in the final quarter, winning it 22-17, but it was not enough to overturn the deficit. The result marked their fourth loss in six games at the tournament.
Despite the defeat, there were individual bright spots for the Junior D’Tigress. Wandoo Hembam led the team with 19 points and 6 rebounds, while Nora Ezike followed with 18 points and 6 rebounds of her own.
Haminatu Ayodeji added a solid double-double performance, contributing 10 points and 13 rebounds. Idubamo Beggi impressed with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Momoluwa Tewogbade also chipped in with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Nigeria’s journey at the World Cup started on a high note with a dramatic 93-88 win over China. However, they struggled in subsequent games, suffering a 113-42 blowout loss to Canada and a 61-79 defeat to Portugal in the group stage. They advanced to the Round of 16 but were overwhelmed by Hungary in a 77-51 loss.
The team briefly bounced back with a 68-58 victory over Argentina in their first classification match before the narrow loss to Korea.
Nigeria will now await their final classification game as they seek to end their campaign on a positive note.
