Olympic success: The Nigerian women’s basketball team advances to the quarterfinals. Learn more about this impressive accomplishment.
On Sunday, Nigeria secured a spot in the Olympic quarterfinals and made history as the first male or female African team to do so with their victory over Canada 79-70. The impressive feat was largely thanks to Ezinna Kalu who scored an exceptional 21 points for her team.
Having secured a 2-1 victory, the Nigerian team is currently awaiting news on their next opponent. Their pool play performance marks a significant improvement for the country which had been seeking its first Olympic win since Athens 2004, having already doubled their number of wins thus far.
With an assistant coach using her phone to capture the moment, they headed towards midcourt for celebrations. The Nigerians exchanged high-fives with the Canadians before returning back to midfield and rejoicing in a huddle.
A flag from a fan was obtained by an assistant coach for court photos, and the Nigerians relished the moment with lingering hugs and additional poses.
Despite being ranked fifth in the world, Canada finished their three group games without a single win and were eliminated on the final day of play by a team placed 12th for women’s basketball.
Five teams, including the U.S., who are aiming for an unprecedented eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal have already secured their berths. The rest of the countries include Spain, Serbia, France and Germany. Following the final game between Australia and host nation France a draw will set up quarterfinal matchups.
The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games did not include Nigeria, and the team’s performance in Tokyo was dismal as they failed to secure any victories. Moreover, during the opening ceremony on July 26th, this women’s squad was deprived of boarding Nigeria’s boat. However, such setbacks are now behind them as they get ready to compete at Bercy Arena located by Seine River on Wednesday.
In the game’s early stages, Nigeria secured a 6-point advantage. However, during the second quarter collision with Canada’s Aaliyah Edwards whilst diving for a loose ball left Captain Amy Okonkwo nursing an injury to her right shoulder. As halftime approached, Canada had taken control of proceedings and led by four points at 41-37.
Upon Okonkwo’s return for the third quarter, Nigeria initiated a 13-1 run. They dominated Canada in scoring with 23 points to their opponent’s mere 5, resulting in them leading by a significant margin of 60-46 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Nigeria received 14 points from Elizabeth Balogun, while Promise Amukamara contributed 12 points.
In terms of scoring, Shay Colley was the top performer for Canada with 17 points. Bridget Carleton contributed 13 while Kayla Alexander added 12 to their team’s total score.
Japan lost to Belgium by a score of 58-85.
Belgium secured the first of three remaining quarterfinal spots with a resounding victory over Japan, led by Emma Meesseman’s impressive 30-point scoring and 11 rebounding performance. The Cats shared an emotional moment at midcourt, embracing each other and dancing in celebration while some wiped tears from their eyes after the final whistle blew.
After winning silver at the Tokyo Games three years prior, Japan (0-3) had to leave the court in tears as they were eliminated.
For the second consecutive Olympics, a silver medalist failed to secure any medals in the next event. Spain obtained silver at Rio de Janeiro Games 2016 but experienced defeat against France during Tokyo’s quarterfinals.
In order to secure their place in the next round, Belgium (1-2) had to surpass Japan by a margin of 27 points. The team was aided by an enthusiastic crowd, who were eager to lend their support as they battled for victory against opponents located just 20 miles (32 kilometers) away. Meanwhile, China (1-2), closely tracked each game via the scoreboard and anxiously awaited news on whether or not it would proceed further in the tournament.
Rui Machada’s jumper allowed Japan to take a 4-2 lead in the initial minutes.
With Antonia Delaere’s triumphant 3-pointer, the Cats secured their lead and maintained it until the end with a score of 19-7 in the first quarter. However, Japan didn’t make things easy for Belgium as they managed to narrow down their gap during second quarter play; resulting in halftime trailing by only sixteen points at a score of 39-23.
In the third quarter, the Cats scored 22 points while Japan managed to score only 16 which resulted in a significant lead for them at 61-39. The fans cheered every time Belgium got a basket as they realized that not only did they have to win but also by a certain point difference. Elise Ramette’s successful attempt from beyond the arc with just under five minutes left increased their lead further and brought it up to the required margin of 27 points securing an ample advantage at71-44; Becky Massey showed her excitement by hugging her right before Japan took their timeout break.
16 points were scored by Ramette, while 12 each were contributed by Delaware and Maxuella Mbaka Lisowa.
Japan was led by Saki Hayashi, who scored 13 points. Additionally, Evelyn Mawuli contributed to the team’s score with her 12-point performance.
