NIGERIA’S senior men’s basketball team D’Tigers began its campaign with an 82-89 loss against Libya in the opening game of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers in Monastir, Morocco.
The highly intense match saw the D’Tigers brush off the hurried preparation before arriving at the competition ground as they displayed doggedness to stamp their authority.
The Libyans dominated the court in the first quarter, leading the D’Tigers with a nine-margin gap of 25-16.
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However, the D’Tigers closed the gap, finishing 19-15 in the second quarter, but the result was not enough to give Nigeria the lead before the end of the half-time, which ended 35-40 in favor of Libya.
The five margins left Nigeria trailing behind Libya before the resumption of the second half, as Libya had a statistical advantage over Nigeria.
The third quarter witnessed a twist of events as Nigeria put up a fight on the court but fell behind Libya, who were resilient to maintain the lead, extending the margin with 10 points and scoring 60-50.
The fourth and final quarter saw a dramatic display as Nigeria pulled a massive comeback, outscoring the Libyans 25-15, forcing the match to overtime after it ended 75-75 in regulation time.
The overtime match allowed the Libyans to stamp their authority after winning Nigeria 14-7 to grab their first win with 89-82.
The Individual performance statistics showed Nigeria’s Mike Nuga emerged as the standout player, scoring a game-high 31 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
Also, Micheal Afuwape and Divine Eke both had 16 points each. Mike Akhuiete had a game-high 12 rebounds coupled with 8 points. Divine Eke added 10 rebounds to his 16-point game.
Libya’s Mohamed Sadi was the hero for Libya, recording a triple-double of 24 points, 12 assists, 10 steals, and nine rebounds.
The victory placed Libya at the top of the group above Cape Verde, Uganda, and Nigeria.
Other results showed that Cape Verde defeated Uganda 78-73.
Nigeria, who won the title in 2015, will face Uganda in the second fixture today, February 24, 2024.