TheCable

D’Tigers have begun their 2021 Afrobasket campaign with a well-fought 81-73 victory over Mali.

The game, which was played on Wednesday, was Nigeria’s opener at the continental tourney in Kigali, Rwanda.

The team mustered the strength to hold sway against the valiant Malians whose explosiveness serve up a topsy-turvy encounter.

Mike Brown, D’Tigers head coach, who had earlier decried the “bad timing” of the tournament, named the starting five of Ikenna Ndugba, Emmanuel Omogbo, Benjamin Emegolu, Stephen Domingo, and Daniel Utomi.

Domingo wasted no time to impress the coach who handed him his national team debut. He netted 11 points as D’Tigers ran to a 28-12 lead in the first quarter.

The game took an unattractive turn for the Nigerians when the second quarter began.

The Malian matured into the match and limited D’Tigers’ advantages before reducing the deficit to 44-43 at halftime.

Nigeria then woke up from their slumber, and through the persistent hassling from Jordan Ogundiran help them wrestle back the control in the third quarter.

D’Tigers blew a significant 18-point lead to go into the quarter 71-53.

The Nigerian players failed to repeat their initial mistake and let the game slip off as they tidy up their defending to finish the game 81-73.

The victory is D’Tigers’ first since defeating the US and Argentina in the Olympic tune-ups.

The team will be playing Kenya next in their second group game on August 27.