BY Idris Shehu
Nigeria’s D’Tigers have crashed out of the 2024 FIBA Olympic pre-qualification tourney.
The team was defeated 77-68 by Mali in their second game of the competition on Tuesday at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.
Nigeria failed to bounce back from their 93-87 loss to Senegal in the opening match on Monday.
Ogoh Odauda, D’Tigers head coach, named an unchanged starting five of Ike Nduga, Uche Iroegbu, Daniel Utomi, Chimezie Metu and Micheal Eric against the Malians.
D’Tigers scrambled to a 17-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Nigeria continued dominating the game in the second quarter and led 43-38 by halftime.
D’Tigers pressed on in the third quarter and extended the lead to 61-53.
The team, however, watched the game sail away in the final quarter, as the Malians raced to a 9-point victory.
Iroegbu led D’Tigers with 26 points, followed by Utomi with 16 points.
Mali join Senegal as the two teams from D’Tigers’ group to progress to the competition’s semi-finals.
The FIBA Olympic pre-qualification tourney is the first round of playoffs for a ticket to the basketball event of the Paris 2024 games.
The competition is being held in five locations across the world.
The winning team of each tournament will advance to the Olympic qualification tournament.
D’Tigers will miss the Olympic basketball event for the first time since Beijing 2008.
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