D’Tigress survived a final quarter scare and held their own to see off fellow Africans Mali 74-69 to book the final Group B spot for the Women Basketball World Cup billed to hold in Australia this year.
It was a game of two quarters each as it ended 20-22, 22-13, 22-9, 9-25. Nigeria won the second and third while Mali won the first and fourth quarters.
Following on from the euphoria of their historic win against France, they repeated that feeling of joy, but also mixed with a palpable sense of relief by completing a 73-69 victory against continental rivals Mali.
Coasting with a 21-point lead, Nigeria almost self-destructed as Mali turned up the defensive pressure, dragging it back to a one-shot game inside the last minute. However, Nigeria managed to cling on and seal back-to-back appearances at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.