D’TIGRESS of Nigeria produced a dominant 70-37 victory over Colombia in Group Phase action at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France at Astroballe in Villeurbanne today.
The African champions seized control early and never looked back, steadily building their advantage and ultimately putting the game to bed with a suffocating defensive display.
The result reflected D’Tigress’ strength on both ends of the floor, as they led for over 33 minutes and held Colombia to just 37 points.
The decisive stretch came late in the second quarter as D’Tigress erased a three-point deficit, tying the game at 27-27 with baskets from forward Victoria Macaulay and guard Ifunanya Okoro.
After Colombia briefly regained the lead, D’Tigress answered with a layup from Nicole Enabosi to move ahead 28-27, then extended their advantage with another basket and a key defensive block by centre Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah.
That sequence set the stage for a game-breaking 16-0 run bridging, as D’Tigress turned a one-point edge into a double-digit cushion and put the result beyond doubt.
Guard Ifunanya Okoro led D’Tigress with a well-rounded performance, finishing with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 28:01, and posting a +29 plus/minus during Nigeria’s most dominant stretches.
Forward Nicole Enabosi anchored the glass and ball movement, recording a double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists in under 24 minutes. Off the bench, Victoria Macaulay provided a scoring spark, knocking down 5-of-6 from the field for 13 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in just over 14 minutes, fueling Nigeria’s extended runs.
On the other side, Mabel Martinez led Colombia with 6 points in 24:28, helping keep the game close in the first half.
Nigeria’s most significant run was a 16-0 surge spanning the second and third quarters, turning a 30-29 lead into a 46-29 advantage over 5:45.
Macaulay powered this stretch with 7 points on 3-of-4 from the field, 1 free throw, and 2 rebounds. Colombia’s biggest run was a 7-0 burst early in the second quarter, narrowing the gap from 22-14 to 22-21 in just over a minute, with Yuliany Paz contributing 2 points and 1 rebound.
D’Tigress’ largest lead reached 34 points (68-34) with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter.
Colombia’s biggest lead was 3 points, achieved twice: at 7:04 in the first quarter (7-4) and at 3:51 in the second quarter (27-24).
With this result, D’Tigress showcased their depth and defensive intensity, holding Colombia to just 37 points and dominating the glass and tempo throughout the game.
With agency report
