Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress suffered a heavy 113 to 42 defeat at the hands of Canada in their second group match at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czech Republic. The North Americans delivered a historic shooting performance that shattered tournament records and left the young Nigerian side chasing shadows.
Canada set a new benchmark in the history of the FIBA U19 World Cup across both male and female categories by becoming the first team ever to hit 20 three-pointers in a single match. The previous record of 19 was jointly held by Japan’s women and the United States’ men. Eight different Canadian players contributed from beyond the arc, highlighting their incredible depth and precision.
Agot Makeer led the Canadian charge with five three-pointers from seven attempts and finished with a game-high 18 points. She was supported by Mila Holloway who dished out nine assists and constantly fed her teammates in shooting positions. Nigeria had no answer to Canada’s fluid ball movement and devastating perimeter attack and were quickly overwhelmed as they fell into a double-digit deficit within the opening minutes.
The Canadians’ performance surpassed Israel’s 17 three-pointers against Hungary just the previous day and outdid notable past tallies from teams like Japan and Australia. With this feat, Canada now tops the all-time list for three-point shots made in a single U19 World Cup game and firmly establishes itself as one of the title favourites.
For Nigeria, the loss came as a sharp contrast to their emotional 93 to 88 win over China in their tournament opener. That victory had given hope that the Junior D’Tigress could make an inspired run, but the superior firepower and organisation of Canada proved too much.
Nora Ezike, who had delivered a flawless 25-point debut against China, continued to show promise. She currently averages 13 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and remains Nigeria’s standout performer at the tournament. Francisca Chukwu and Wandoo Marvis Hembam also made positive contributions but were unable to turn the tide against the relentless Canadians.
Nigeria will now turn their focus to their final group match against Portugal on Tuesday, with their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage still alive. Head coach Aderemi Adewunmi will be looking for a response from his team and a return to the discipline and fighting spirit that earned them their opening day win.
Canada sit comfortably at the top of the group and have already established themselves as a dominant force in this year’s tournament. Nigeria, despite the setback, still have an opportunity to make history if they can bounce back and rekindle the fire that lit up their opening game.
