NIGERIA’s D’Tigers have been knocked out of the 2021 AfroBasket after losing to Uganda in Kigali, Rwanda on Tuesday.
The 2015 champions were playing for a quarter-final spot but proved not strong enough for the East Africans who won 80-68.
D’Tigers thus failed to make it out of the group stages, making it the first time in 20 years that a Nigerian team will not advance beyond the first round of men’s AfroBasket.
Uganda showed their intentions early, racing to a 24-12 lead in the first quarter.
D’Tigers failed to reduce the deficit in the second quarter, losing it by one point (20-19), ending the first half 13 points down (44-31).
The relentless Ugandans did not let up in the third quarter, increasing their lead to 67-49, going into the final quarter with an 18-point advantage.
D’Tigers put up some resistance in the fourth quarter, and won it 19-13 but it was too little, too late and they were sent packing.
Even with the disappointing defeat, Uzodinma Utomi stood out for D’Tigers, scoring a game-high 23 points, with three rebounds and two assists.
Robinson Opong led Uganda in scoring with 19 points, while Ishmail Wainright contributed 11 rebounds and six assists.
D’Tigers won their first two games in Kigali against Mali and Kenya, but failed to grab an automatic ticket to the quarter-finals by losing to Cote d’Ivoire, the defeat that set up Tuesday’s disastrous fixture.
Meanwhile, D’Tigers will face Uganda again in the qualifying campaign for the 2023 World Cup.
The two were drawn into African Group A along with Cape Verde and Mali at Tuesday’s draw in Switzerland.
Group B has South Sudan, Cameroon, Tunisia and Rwanda, while Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Central African Republic and Angola are in Group C.
Kenya, Senegal, Egypt and Democratic Republic of Congo make up Group D.
Five countries from Africa will qualify for the FIBA World Cup.
