Women’s Group B: Nigeria 75, Australia 62
Our first game of the day gives us our first upset, as Nigeria held off a late rally to topple Australia and earn its first Olympic win in 20 years.
D’Tigress showed no fear from the opening tip, picking up ball-handlers full-court and seeming to catch the Aussies off-guard with their length and intensity on defense. Nigeria held the Opals to just 28 points in the first half, including 11 in the second quarter, while Ezinne Kalu‘s 17 points and four 3s helped build a shocking 41-28 lead at the break.
As you’d expect from the team that took bronze at the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Australia had a response. Alana Smith (15 points on 6-of-9 shooting) caught fire in the second half, and as Nigeria finally cooled off from deep, the Opals cut the lead to one possession at multiple points in the fourth quarter.
But Nigeria never stopped coming, and again, defense was the catalyst. D’Tigress shot just 35% from the field on the day, but a whopping 26 turnovers forced helped produce a 68-55 shot advantage. Australia scored just six points over the final six minutes of the fourth, while Amy Okonkwo hit multiple dagger 3s, including one to stretch the lead back to seven and essentially salt things away.
A group that includes Canada and host nation France still presents plenty of challenges, but this upset suddenly puts Nigeria in a great spot to reach the knockout round for the first time ever. Next up is a date with France on Thursday, Aug. 1, while Australia faces off against Canada hoping to get things back on track and avoid an early exit.
