Nigeria’s D’Tigress recorded a dominant 70–37 victory over Colombia in a Group Phase game at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France on Wednesday.
The match was played at Astroballe in Villeurbanne.
Nigeria took control early in the game and maintained their lead for more than 33 minutes, producing a strong defensive display that limited Colombia to just 37 points.
Nigeria Take Charge Before Halftime
The turning point came late in the second quarter. Nigeria wiped out a three-point deficit and tied the game at 27–27 through baskets from forward Victoria Macaulay and guard Ifunanya Okoro.
Colombia briefly went ahead again, but Nigeria responded with a layup from Nicole Enabosi to lead 28–27. Another basket and a key defensive block from centre Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah helped Nigeria extend their advantage.
The sequence sparked a decisive 16–0 run that stretched across halftime, turning a narrow lead into a comfortable double-digit advantage.
Okoro, Enabosi, Macaulay Lead Nigeria
Guard Ifunanya Okoro led Nigeria with an all-round performance, scoring 10 points with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 28:01 minutes. She also recorded a +29 plus/minus during Nigeria’s most dominant periods.
Forward Nicole Enabosi posted a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in under 24 minutes.
Off the bench, Victoria Macaulay added 13 points after making 5 of 6 field-goal attempts and also grabbed 6 rebounds in just over 14 minutes.
For Colombia, Mabel Martinez led the team with 6 points in 24:28 minutes, helping keep the game competitive in the first half.
Key Runs and Game Statistics
Nigeria’s biggest run was a 16–0 stretch between the second and third quarters, turning a 30–29 lead into a 46–29 advantage in 5:45 minutes. Macaulay scored 7 points during that run.
Colombia’s best spell was a 7–0 run early in the second quarter, cutting the deficit from 22–14 to 22–21 in just over a minute, with Yuliany Paz contributing 2 points and 1 rebound.
Nigeria’s largest lead of the game was 34 points at 68–34 with 2:25 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Colombia’s biggest lead was three points, achieved twice — at 7:04 in the first quarter (7–4) and at 3:51 in the second quarter (27–24).
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