FIBA World Cup: France holds off D’Tigress rally to win 93-86

By Editor

France secured a 93-86 wire-to-wire victory over Nigeria in a Group A fiercely contested match at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France event on Sunday, March 15. France established an early lead and maintained control throughout, never trailing at any point. The game remained very competitive all through the four quarters, but France’s consistent advantage and strong closing stretch put this game behind the Nigerian ladies who steadily fought back all through.

There were no lead changes during the decisive stretch, as France maintained their advantage throughout the closing moments. Nigeria mounted a strong run in the third quarter to narrow the gap, but France held firm in the final period, preserving their lead and closing out the game with a composed finish.

Janelle Salaun led the way for France, finishing with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and an efficiency of 19 in just under 30 minutes. She knocked down 6-of-9 from the field and drained 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, providing early scoring and keeping her turnovers to a minimum to help build France’s cushion. Valeriane Ayayi added 12 points, 6 rebounds, and a team-high +12 plus/minus, making her presence felt at both ends and drawing key fouls. Fo D’Tigress, Elizabeth Balogun paced Nigeria with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in nearly 35 minutes, playing turnover-free basketball and sparking her team’s best run.

France’s biggest run came late in the second quarter, when they put together a 9-0 surge to stretch the lead from 45-35 to 54-35.  Nigeria responded with their most significant run, a 12-0 burst spanning the end of the second quarter into the third, cutting the deficit from 57-38 to 57-50. Balogun led the charge with 5 points and a rebound during this stretch.

France built the largest lead of the game at 19 points on two occasions in the second quarter: first with 2:27 left (France 54 – Nigeria 35) and again with 2:01 remaining (France 57 – Nigeria 38).

Nigeria’s last match is on Tuesday night against Germany.