D’Tigress have booked their spot in the final of the 2023 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket after edging Senegal 75-68 in a nail-biting semifinal at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, Côte d’Ivoire. The victory keeps alive Nigeria’s dream of becoming the first African team to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles.
Billed as the “final before the final,” the game lived up to its billing as two of the continent’s basketball powerhouses and longtime rivals went head-to-head for a place in the championship game.
Senegal started brightly, racing to an 11-2 lead within the first three minutes of the opening quarter. But the D’Tigress mounted a swift response, going on a 13-0 run to take a 14-11 lead before closing out the quarter ahead, 22-17.
The second quarter was an intense battle, with both teams trading punches on both ends of the court. D’Tigress managed to edge the period 21-20, thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Victoria Thiaw, her first points of the contest.
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Senegal turned the tide in the third quarter, coming out with renewed intensity and outscoring Nigeria 21-9 to seize control of the game and head into the final period with a six-point lead at 58-52.
Nigeria came alive in the fourth quarter, outscoring Senegal 23-10 to overturn their third-quarter deficit and seal a 75-68 victory at full time.
Defensive anchor Murjanatu Musa fouled out late in the third quarter, while Senegal’s Khadija Faye also exited the game with over seven minutes remaining due to foul trouble.
Ezinne Kalu led the D’Tigress with a standout performance, recording 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Promise Amukamara followed closely with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Amy Okonkwo added 15 points, six rebounds, three steals, and a block, while Victoria Macaulay chipped in 13 points, three rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.
Despite the loss, Ciara Dillard led all scorers with 26 points for Senegal, with Ndioma Kane contributing 14 points.
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