By Olaitan Ibrahim
Senegal on Wednesday ended Nigeria’s quest for a semifinal place at the ongoing Afrobasket Championship in Luanda, Angola, with a 91-75 victory over D’Tigers.
The defeat came a month after Nigeria’s D’Tigresses had beaten Senegal in the women’s final of the competition, but this time, the West Africans got their revenge.
D’Tigers edged the first quarter 24-23, but Senegal turned the tide in the second with a dominant 30-18 performance to take a 53-42 lead at halftime.
The third quarter proved worse for Nigeria as they trailed 23-13 before a late fightback saw them take the fourth 20-15, though it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
NBA star Josh Okogie, who had posted 33 points in a group game, was kept quiet as he managed just four points.
Senegal’s Brancou Badio stole the spotlight, finishing with 32 points and an efficiency rating of 29 per cent.
Despite the loss, Nigeria still lead the head-to-head record between both sides 5-4.