FIBA: D’Tigress rally past Philippines in dominant second-half display

African champions, Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, delivered a historic second-half performance to defeat the Philippines women’s national basketball team 101–84 in their third FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifiers match at the Astroballe in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France.

The Philippines led for more than 22 minutes and built a 10-point cushion in the first half, but D’Tigres seized control after the break.

With 12 lead changes and both teams trading blows through three quarters, D’Tigress pulled away in the final period to secure a convincing victory.

Read Also: FIBA: Wakama rallies D’Tigress for Philippines clash after Korea defeat

After trailing 51–42 at halftime, Nigeria exploded in the second half, scoring 34 and 25 points in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to secure their second win of the tournament, bouncing back from their defeat to the South Korea women’s national basketball team in their previous outing.

Victoria Macaulay anchored Nigeria’s turnaround, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks in just over 21 minutes. Her efficient shooting and +13 plus/minus highlighted her impact during Nigeria’s decisive second-half run.

Read Also: D’Tigress overpower Colombia in FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifier opener

Murjanatu Musa nearly recorded a triple-double, posting 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, while Nicole Enabosi added 15 points and 12 rebounds, including a nine-point burst in under three minutes of the opening quarter.

For the Philippines, guard Janine Pontejos led the scoring with 16 points, highlighted by an eight-point surge late in the second quarter.

Nigeria’s 101 points set a new FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying record, surpassing their previous high of 76 and marking the first time they have scored over 100 points in a qualifier since the 2019 Women’s Afrobasket clash with Cameroon.

D’Tigress will next face host nation France on March 15, aiming to build on the momentum in the next stage of the qualifying campaign.