Senegal on Wednesday ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the semifinals of the Afrobasket Championship in Luanda, Angola, with a 91-75 win over D’Tigers.
The result came just a month after Nigeria’s D’Tigresses had beaten Senegal in the women’s final, but this time the Senegalese men took their revenge.
Nigeria started well, edging the first quarter 24-23, but Senegal dominated the second with a 30-18 run to lead 53-42 at half-time. The third quarter was even tougher for D’Tigers as they fell 23-13 behind before staging a late fightback to take the fourth 20-15. However, it was not enough to close the gap.
NBA star Josh Okogie, who had scored 33 points in a group game, was restricted to just four points. Senegal’s Brancou Badio shone brightly, finishing with 32 points and an efficiency rating of 29 per cent.
Despite the defeat, Nigeria still hold the edge in their overall record against Senegal, leading 5-4 in past meetings.
