D'Tigress bounce back to beat China in final warm up game
Nigeria’s D’Tigress ended their three-game exhibition series against China on a winning note, defeating the hosts 88-77 in Foshan, Guangdong Province, on Wednesday.
The victory saw the reigning African champions recover from two narrow defeats in their opening meetings with China as they continue preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
D’Tigress made a flying start, taking control from the opening quarter and building a commanding 32-17 lead. Nigeria continued to dominate in the second quarter, heading into halftime with a massive 58-29 advantage.
China responded after the break and managed to reduce the deficit in the third quarter, but Nigeria remained firmly in control and entered the final period 71-52 ahead.
The hosts improved their performance in the fourth quarter, but D’Tigress held their nerve to close out an 88-77 victory.
The result also served as revenge for Nigeria’s 69-65 loss to China on Sunday and their 70-67 defeat in the opening game of the series last Friday.
With the China tour now concluded, D’Tigress will move into the next phase of their World Cup preparations in Tenerife, Spain, from August 15 to 24. They are scheduled to face hosts Spain and Belgium during the camp.
The team will then travel to Zaragoza for the fourth phase of their preparations, running from August 25 to September 3, where they will play their final warm-up games against Mali and Puerto Rico.
Nigeria began their extensive World Cup build-up in the United States from July 29 to August 2 before travelling to China for the three-game series.
The seven-time African champions will eventually head to Berlin, Germany, for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, scheduled for September 4 to 13.
D’Tigress have been drawn in Group B alongside the Republic of Korea, Hungary and France as they prepare to challenge for another strong showing on the global stage.
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