Senegal played hard and executed well, especially in the third quarter, when they outscored Nigeria 21-9. However, the champions demonstrated their dominance in women’s basketball in Africa with a heroic performance in the fourth quarter.
ABIDJAN (Côte d’Ivoire) – Nigeria survived a hard-fought test, beating arch rivals Senegal to advance to the Women’s AfroBasket final for the fifth time in a row.
In a game with three crucial lead changes, the reigning champions, Nigeria, prevailed with a final score of 75-68.
With this victory, Nigeria extended their Women’s AfroBasket winning streak to 28 games, dating back to October 2015 when they defeated Angola in the third-place game in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Senegal’s perennial leader, Cierra Dillard, did everything she could to help Senegal beat Nigeria for the first time since 2011.
However, her efforts were hindered by Senegal’s excessive turnovers in the final moments of the game. She eventually founded out with nine seconds on the shot clock.
Dillard’s 26 points, seven rebounds, and three assists earned her the title of Senegal’s best performer of the game. However, only one other Senegalese player, Ndioma Kane, scored in double figures with her 14 points.
The 2019 Women’s AfroBasket Most Valuable Player (MVP), Ezinne Kalu, rescued Nigeria from ending their unbeaten run when she stole the ball from Lena Timera and finished with a fast-break two-pointer. A hook shot by Victory Macaulay gave Nigeria a 69-66 lead, which was technically insurmountable.
Nigeria outscored Senegal 10–3 in the last three minutes to advance to the championship game. They will face the winner of the second semifinal between Mali and South Sudan.
