D’Tigers yesterday defeated host country Mali 82-59 in their third game of the FIBA World Cup Africa Qualifying series in Bamako.
With this victory, the Ike Diogu led Nigerian team is in the driver seat of Group B.
The Nigerian team that had an easy first quarter run of 21-5 advantage, struggled in the second quarter, with the Malians narrowing the gap down to 37-21. They finished the quarter tied on same 16-16.
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The Alex Nwora led coaching crew watched as the D’Tigers also struggled to avoid a deficit in the third quarter but the home team still managed to lead by a point, ending the period with 21-20 points against Nigeria.
Ike Diogu doubled his efforts to ensure Nigeria dominate the last quarter and with the efforts of both Obekpa and Efevberha, the team was able to win the quarter with 25-17 points to close the game at 82-59.
Diogu contributed 22 points, Obekpa added 10 rebounds while Efevberha produced eight assists in the game.
With the three victories in a row, Nigeria will now go into the next round of qualifiers with six points.
The next round is to hold in June and Nigeria is likely to host the FIBA World Cup qualifier which will also feature Nigeria, Uganda, Mali and Rwanda.
