D’Tigers secured a perfect group-stage record with a hard fought 99-90 victory over arch rivals Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Sunday’s Group B final match at the ongoing FIBA AfroBasket Championship at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Kilamba, Angola.
With the slim victory, D’Tigers have avoided qualification placement as they have earned for themselves a direct passage to the quarter-finals on August 20.
In their inspired performance, Nigeria had six players score in the double digits. Josh Okogie led the D’Tigers with 16 points.
Caleb Agada scored 15, Stan Okoye finished with 14, Christian Mekowulu and Ike Nwamu each contributed 12, and Martins Igbannu scored 10.
Cameroon were led by Fabien Ateba with 19 points and Yves Missi with 18. Jeremiah Hill left the game with a knee injury after scoring 16 points, and Samir Gbetkom scored 13.
Both teams fought fiercely in the first quarter but D’Tigers came out tops with 28-25 points, with Mekowulu leading Nigeria’s charge with six points, all coming from three-point range, while Cameroon’s Hill had seven points.
In the second quarter, D’Tigers upped their intensity, outscoring Cameroon 30-16. Agada netted 10 points, which included a three-pointer early on, while Mekowulu added six more, which also included a three, making 4/5 from the arc.
The Josh Okogie inspired D’Tigers then took the third quarter 26-12 to ensure that Cameroon trailed by as many as 33 points.
Faced with a herculean task, the Lions fought back valiantly to take the last quarter 37-13 but it a little too late as D’Tigers cruised into quarter-final unbeaten.
Speaking after the match, D’Tigers’ Stan Okoye who produced seven assists in the match said: “We were a little disappointed because we were a little flat in the end.
“We have learned to close out games and let teams come back like that. It was really great to knock down shots, but we could have done better on defence and taken better care with the turnovers.”
It will be recalled that in their opening match of the 2025 AfroBasket, D’Tigers defeated Madagascar 77-59 and followed up with an emphatic 87-66 victory over defending champions Tunisia.
D’Tigers first and only AfroBasket victory was in 2015.