Nigeria’s D’Tigress moved a step closer to actualise a third Afrobasket title ambition and a World Cup ticket with resounding win over Egypt on Sunday.
The Sam Vincent side defeated the Egyptians by 106-72 points to also book their passage into the quarterfinals at the ongoing 2017 Afrobasket in Bamako, Mali.
Evelyn Akhator shone like a million stars as she provided the needed platform on which the team built their victory.
The Dallas Wings player scored 24 points, 5 assists and another impressive 13 rebounds against a more physically imposing Egyptian side.
Ever dependable Ezinne also stepped up her display to record 18 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds during her 24:08 minutes’ stint on the court.
Nyingifa Atonye continued her resurgence after a sloppy opening game registering 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 15 points.
A breakdown of the four quarters saw the Vincent-led team ending the first quarter with a 20-15 points lead before scoring 30 more points in the second quarter against their opponents who could only manage 14 more points.
The team extended their lead to 79-49 at the end of the third quarter before hitting the 100 point mark as they emerged with a personal competition record of 106.
Reacting at the post match press conference, Akhator described the D’Tigress team as a young side with the ability to dominate offensively and defensively which according to her is a plus.
On her performance, she said: “I just came out to play and try to get better every other day. I think me getting used to the plays and the court and getting the trust from my teammates really helped me.”
The team will observe Monday as a rest day before facing Guinea on Tuesday in their fourth group game.
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