Nigeria’s D’Tigress staged a thrilling second-half comeback in France this Saturday, overwhelming the Philippines’ Gilas Filipinas 101–84.
After a sluggish start left them trailing at the break, the Nigerians found their spark to snap a five-game losing streak.
The opening half was a struggle for the African champions, who fell behind 21–26 in the first quarter and went into the locker room down 42–51.
However, head coach Rena Wakama’s halftime tactical shift proved decisive, ignited by a desperate need to turn the tide after a string of recent defeats.
The adjustment paid immediate dividends as Nigeria seized control of the third quarter 34-21, shattering Philippines morale and paving the way for a dominant 25-14 final stanza victory.
Beyond the scoreboard, D’Tigress held clear edges in key areas, winning second-chance points 10-5 and dominating paint scoring 52-30.
However, the Filipinos did manage to edge the fast-break tally 25-21 in what was Nigeria’s third outing of the tournament.
The West Africans also prevailed convincingly on the boards (58-33) and in assists (36-26).
With the hard-fought win, Nigeria now sit atop Group D after three matches, boasting two victories, one loss, a points differential of 231-198 and five tournament points.
France occupy second place with a perfect 2-0 record from two games played, registering 203-114 and four points. Germany are third, also 2-0 with 189-129 and four points after their pair of outings.
South Korea sit fourth, having split their three matches (one win, two losses) for a 126-136 differential and three points.
The Philippines, now winless in three games following this latest reverse, languish in fifth spot with a 230-329 record and three points.
Colombia prop up the table at the foot, still searching for a first victory after two matches, managing only 85-158 and two points.
According to current FIBA world rankings, the group features a mix of established powers: France (No. 3), Nigeria (No. 8), Germany (No. 12), South Korea (No. 15) and Colombia (No. 19).
The stage is now set for a pivotal clash tomorrow, Sunday, when D’Tigress face host nation France at 7pm Nigerian time in what promises to be the group decider.
Nigeria will then round off their pool campaign against Germany on Tuesday at 5pm.
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