Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress ended their debut campaign at the 2025 FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 12th place after a heavy 96-71 defeat to China in their final classification game on Sunday in Brno, Czechia.
The Nigerian side, which had earlier stunned China with a 93-88 victory in the group stage, could not replicate that performance in their second meeting. China dominated the game, winning the first three quarters (26-14, 30-21, 23-18) before Nigeria narrowly edged the fourth quarter 18-17.
Coach Juliana Akhere’s team struggled with efficiency, converting only 24 of their 79 field goal attempts, while China made 32 of 67. Nigeria recorded 49 rebounds, 16 assists, and 13 steals but were outmatched by China’s superior ball movement, which yielded 33 assists.
Top performers for Nigeria included Idubamo Beggi, who led with 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Nora Ezike contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Captain Wandoo Hembam and Abigail Isaac each added 10 points, with Isaac also grabbing nine rebounds.
China’s Ran Kejia was the standout player, posting a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds, supported by Li Yuqian (19 points) and Li Yonglin (11 points).
The Junior D’Tigress finished the tournament with two wins (against China and Argentina) and five losses, including defeats to Canada, Portugal, Hungary, and South Korea.
The next edition of the FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2027.
