Junior D'Tigers' AfroBasket Hopes Dashed in Quarterfinals

Nigeria's under-18 men's basketball team, the Junior D'Tigers, suffered a disappointing 81-70 loss to Mali in the quarterfinals of the 2024 AfroBasket U-18 Championship on Thursday night. Despite a strong start, the Nigerians were outplayed in the fourth quarter, ending their bid for a spot in the semifinals.

Photo credit : FIBA.basketball

The Junior D'Tigers had taken an early lead, winning the first quarter 23-19. However, they struggled in the second quarter, losing 15-21 and trailing 40-38 at halftime. A narrow 15-14 win in the third quarter kept them in the game, but a dominant 27-17 performance by Mali in the fourth quarter sealed their fate.

Oluwatemitope Ezekiel's game-high 24 points and Ibrahim Danmutum's 11 points were not enough to overcome the Malians' fast breaks, which yielded 23 points to Nigeria's 12.

Photo credit:FIBA.basketball

The Junior D'Tigers will now face Egypt in a classification contest on Friday, while the championship winners and runners-up will qualify for the FIBA World Championship in Switzerland.

In another quarterfinal match, Rwanda suffered a shock 53-67 loss to Cameroon, despite a bright start. Cameroon's dominant fourth-quarter performance sent them packing, and they will now progress to the semifinals.