The Nigerian Female National Basketball team, D’Tigress tipped off their AfroBasket Championship title defence with a comfortable 69-35 points at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

The defending champions tipped off the contest with a starting 5 of Adebola Adeyeye, Elizabeth Balogun, Blessing Ejiofor, Pallas Kunaiyi- Akpanah and Ifunanya Okoro.

The relatively new D’Tigress took the first quarter with a healthy 8 points different as they went into the second quarter at 16- 8.

The second quarter was much more competitive than the first as the D’Tigress could only win it with 13 points to DR Congo’s 10 points. The first half subsequently ended at 29 to 18 point in favour of the D’Tigress.

By the end of the first and second quarter [1st half], D’Tigress trio of Tomi Taiwo, Sarah Ogoke and Blessing Ejiofor had picked up 7 points, 6 points and 5 points respectively.

It was yet another close affair as the Congolese gave it a fight in the 3rd quarter but the D’Tigress held their own and took the 3rd quarter 17 points to the DR Congo’s 14 [17- 14] . Going into the final quarter, the score line stood at 46- 31 in Nigeria’s favour.

Rena Wakama ‘s girls showed their supremacy in the fourth and final quarter , wrapping up the contest with an overwhelming 23- 2 points. They eventually won the game 69-35 points overall [ a 34 points difference ]

Elizabeth Balogun and Ifunaya Okoro finished the game with 11 points each while Tomi Taiwo and Sarah Ogoke [ the only member of the last team that won the 2019 edition] finished with 10 point each