By El-ameen Ibrahim
The Nigerian U-18 women’s basketball team, Junior D’Tigress, came up short in the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket 2024 final, falling 56-76 to Mali, who secured their record ninth title on Saturday.
Despite an early 5-0 lead, Nigeria struggled to maintain momentum against Mali’s dominant performance.
The Malian team controlled the game, winning all four quarters—11-8 in the first, 18-15 in the second, 24-19 in the third, and finishing with a commanding 23-14 in the fourth.
Mali’s strength was evident in the paint, where they outscored Nigeria 30-16, and they capitalized on fast breaks with an additional 15 points.
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Nigeria’s bench was more productive, contributing 24 points compared to Mali’s 12.
Mali’s 17-year-old Oummou Koumare was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while Nigeria’s Idubamo Beggi earned a spot on the All-Star team.
Beggi, an 18-year-old guard who plays for the MFM Queens Basketball team in Lagos, was a standout throughout the tournament, scoring 109 points in six games.
She played a key role in Nigeria’s journey to the final, including scoring 23 points in both the opening loss to Egypt and the semifinal victory over Uganda.
However, in the final, Mali limited her to 14 points. Beggi also contributed 32 assists and 17 rebounds during the tournament held in South Africa.
