South Korea three points surge halts D'Tigress in Lyon
Nigeria’s D’Tigress were undone by a barrage from beyond the arc as South Korea cruised to a 77–60 victory in their second game of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournament in Lyon on Thursday.
At the Astroballe Arena, Coach Rena Wakama kept faith with the same starting five that powered Nigeria past Colombia in their opener Amy Okonkwo, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Murjanatu Musa and Ezinne Kalu. But this time, the African champions ran into a South Korean side whose precision shooting from long range proved decisive.
South Korea set the tone early, knocking down perimeter shots to claim a 20–16 lead at the end of the first quarter as Nigeria struggled to contain the threat from outside. The second quarter offered little separation, with both teams trading baskets in a tight contest that ended 16–16, leaving the Koreans ahead 36–32 at the break.
Victoria Macaulay carried Nigeria’s offensive burden in the first half, scoring 15 of the team’s 32 points. Okonkwo and Kalu chipped in with three points each, but the D’Tigress found it difficult to match their opponents’ rhythm from distance.
The third quarter saw South Korea stretch their advantage further, outscoring Nigeria 22–19 to head into the final period with a 58–51 cushion. Nigeria’s offense then stalled in the fourth quarter, producing just nine points while the Koreans continued to pull away and seal a comfortable win.
Despite the defeat, Macaulay delivered a standout performance for Nigeria, finishing with 22 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. She shot an impressive 8-of-13 from the field and a flawless 3-of-3 from three-point range, setting a new record for the most points scored by a Nigerian player in a single game at the Women’s Qualifying Tournament. Murjanatu Musa added 10 points and three rebounds.
South Korea’s efficiency from deep ultimately defined the contest. They drained 11 three-pointers and registered 29 assists in a fluid team display. Jihyun Park led the charge with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, alongside six rebounds and four assists, while Leeseul Kang added 20 points, including five shots from beyond the arc.
Nigeria edged the rebounding battle 39–31, but 18 turnovers and their inability to curb South Korea’s long-range shooting proved costly.
The D’Tigress will now shift focus to their next test against the Philippines on March 14 as they aim to bounce back.
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