NIGERIA’s D’Tigers had a topsy-turvy game on Wednesday but still defeated Mali to open their 2021 men’s AfroBasket campaign.
Africa’s top ranked team led by over 20 points at a stage of the game before winning by 81-73 points.
The first half was a game of two completely different quarters.
Nigeria won the first quarter 28-12 and looked to be heading to a big blowout win.
However, Mali flipped the script in the second quarter, winning it 31-16, to end the half just one point down at 44-43.
D’Tigers stretched their lead again in the third quarter by winning it 27-10, taking a healthy 18-point gap into the final quarter.
The Malians would not go away quietly though, as they cut 10 points from their deficit to lose the game by eight points to the 2015 AfroBasket champions.
Benjamin Emelogu led D’Tigers in scoring with a game-high 18 points, the same as Mali’s top scorer Ibrahim Djambo.
Tarekeyi Edogi contributed 12 rebounds for D’Tigers while Ikenna Ndugba produced nine assists.
D’Tigers next face Kenya on Friday.
