By Mark Ogagan
Nigeria’s national U-19 female basketball team, the Junior D’Tigress, upset highly-rated China 93–88 in their opening Group B game at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czech Republic, on Saturday.
Nora Ezike was Nigeria’s star on the day, scoring a massive 25 points in a second half spell to power the tournament debutants to their first-ever win at this level. She finished a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and 9-of-11 (81.8%) from the free-throw line.
China started strong, taking the first quarter 24–16 as Nigeria struggled with early foul trouble. The Junior D’Tigress settled into the game in the second quarter, matching China’s intensity and winning the frame 22–20. Despite this surge, China still held a 44–38 lead at halftime.
After halftime, Nigeria shifted into high gear, outscoring China 23–16 in the third quarter and 32–28 in the final frame to seal a memorable comeback. They dramatically improved their three-point shooting in the second half, hitting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Next up for the Junior D’Tigress is a showdown with Canada on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. Nigerian time. The Canadians won their opening game beating Portugal 88–49.
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