By Huldah Shado
Senegal’s men’s basketball team stunned Nigeria’s D’Tigers on Wednesday, knocking them out of the ongoing Afrobasket Championship in Luanda, Angola, and avenging their women’s team’s recent loss to Nigeria’s D’Tigresses.
The contest started evenly, with D’Tigers edging the first quarter 24-23. But Senegal roared back in the second, dominating 30-18 to take a commanding 53-42 halftime lead.
Nigeria’s struggles deepened in the third quarter, where they were outscored 23-13. Though they rallied late with a 20-15 final-quarter win, the effort fell short as Senegal sealed a 91-75 victory.
The result narrows the all-time head-to-head between the two nations to 5-4 in Nigeria’s favour.
A key factor in the upset was the quiet performance of NBA star Josh Okogie, who was restricted to just four points by Senegal’s tight defense, far below his 33-point display in an earlier group game.
Meanwhile, Senegal’s Brancou Badio delivered a stellar performance, pouring in 32 points with a 29 percent efficiency rating to power his side into the semifinals.
