Inspired by Isaac Oluwatemitope Ezekiel, Nigeria grabbed their second win in the FIBA U18 AfroBasket and making it through to the next round. For returning Nigeria, this win is worth its weight in gold as it qualifies the J’Tigers nation for the Quarter-Finals.
Last Updated on
September 11, 2024
Jonathan Oriant
Staff Writer
Uganda was never really a threat to Nigeria’s supremacy on the game, except for the fourth quarter, where they finished with a 20-15 run. The J'Tigers outrebounded (62 to 46), played more collectively (11 assists to 9), stole the ball more often (22 times to 16), while scoring 31 points from turnovers and 38 from inside the paint.
Uganda had to bow to Nigeria’s Isaac Oluwatemitope Ezekiel, who would account for a double-double(13 points, 13 rebounds), 4 steals and 2 blocks. Ekpo Effiong Bassey also contributed 13 points and as many rebounds to Nigeria’s victory, along with 1 steal.
But the J’Tigers had another joker up their sleeve. It came in the form of Azeez Olaitan Sulaimon,who did a bit of everything to help Nigeria secure their second victory in South Africa. He would reach a game-high 20 points, coupled with 6 rebounds and 8 steals.
Uganda would try to respond, though timidly, to Nigeria’s assaults, with Mukisa Mubiru-Nkugwa and Brighton Galiwango. They led the charge for the Junior Silverbacks, with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals respectively. A nice effort, which would however avail to nothing as they watched Nigeria pave their way to victory.
“It was a very tough game. We started well, but we didn’t play well in the last quarter. Our willingness to defend comes from our training. As teammates, we trust each other. I trust them and they trust me. For the next round, we don’t know who we’ll be playing. But we need to work more and I’m sure it’s going to be a different game”, said Isaac Oluwatemitope.
Nigeria started off strong, leading 3-0, then 8-3, before increasing their lead to 15 points with four minutes to go in the first quarter.
They would increase the gap to 16 points, only to watch Uganda attempting a come-back by closing the gap to 21-15 with less than 1 minute remaining in the first quarter.
Back on the court for the second quarter, Nigeria toughened up a bit as they once again came on top of Uganda with a 19-11 run. The J’Tigers faced a tough challenge in the third quarter, as Uganda kept trying to turn the tables around.
With a 17-15 run for Nigeria, the J’Tigers kept their opponents at bay, leading 57-41 before heading into the final quarter.
This time, Uganda took control of the game and inflicted a 20-15 loss to Nigeria. But it was too little too late.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
