No longer in contention for the title, Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress will take on Argentina today (Friday) in the classification round of the ongoing FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czechia.
Led by coach Juliana Akhere, the Nigerian side suffered a 77-51 defeat to Hungary in the round of 16 on Wednesday, ending their hopes of lifting the trophy. However, there is still pride on the line as they battle the South Americans at the Starez Arena Vodova Hall for a place among the 9th–16th spots.
Making their debut at the tournament, Nigeria have posted commendable stats, averaging 61.8 points, 42.3 rebounds, and 11.8 assists per game. Their shooting efficiency includes a 65.8% success rate from the free-throw line, 33.1% for two-point field goals, and 21.2% from beyond the arc.
In contrast, Argentina have struggled throughout the competition, averaging just 46.5 points, 32 rebounds, and 12.3 assists per game. Their shooting metrics include a 64.6% free-throw conversion rate, 39.2% on two-point attempts, and 22.6% on three-pointers.
Nigeria began their Group B campaign with a historic win over China but followed up with losses to Canada and Portugal, finishing third in the group with a 1-2 record. The subsequent defeat to Hungary in the knockout stage relegated them to the classification matches.
Argentina, meanwhile, are still winless in the tournament. They opened with a 68-47 loss to Spain, were beaten 77-49 by hosts Czechia, then fell 83-44 to Japan in the group stage. Their round of 16 match ended in a heavy 95-46 defeat to Australia.
Toby Nweke has been Nigeria’s standout performer, averaging 11.5 points per game with back-to-back double-digit outings. Argentina’s top scorer is Nerea Lagowski, averaging nine points per game.
The winner of today’s clash will face either Brazil or South Korea in the next round of classification fixtures.
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