D’Tigress beat Rwanda 92-45 to extend dominance at AfroBasket with 25th consecutive victory
Nigeria’s Women’s National Basketball Team continued their historic reign over African women’s basketball today, cruising past Rwanda with a 92–45 win in their second match of the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket tournament. The victory marks Nigeria’s 25th straight win in the continental championship, a streak that dates back to October 2015.
The Tigresses, four-time defending champions, showcased discipline and depth from tip-off. Elisabeth Balogun opened scoring with a confident mid-range jumper, and although Rwanda held a brief lead at 4–2, Nigeria quickly regained control through Ezinne Kalu’s jumper and an unanswered 8-0 scoring run that effectively sealed the momentum for the rest of the game.
Rwanda attempted to mount a resistance, led by standout performances from Destiney Philoxy and Keisha Hampton, who recorded 11 and 10 points respectively. However, turnovers proved costly—Rwanda surrendered 25 points through mistakes, and Nigeria’s bench outperformed theirs 37–13.
Leading the scoring for Nigeria was Balogun with 18 points, supported by a strong showing from Murjanatu Musa (12), Victoria Macaulay (13), Ifunanya Okoro (11), and Amy Okonkwo (10). Rwanda’s Bella Murekatete stood out defensively with an emphatic block on Kalu and contributed seven points alongside solid rebounding.
Following the match, Nigerian forward Murjanatu Musa reflected on the team’s performance: ‘We expected a tough match against Rwanda as they are a good side. I don’t know what happened to them, but it is a good first win for us—it gives us the energy to keep working for those victories. Despite the win, there’s need to tighten our defense in coming matches.’
Saturday’s result reinforces Nigeria’s status as a dominant force in African basketball. Their last encounter with Rwanda was in the semifinals of the 2023 edition, where Nigeria won 79–48 before claiming the title by defeating Senegal.
As the Tigresses march forward in the tournament, their cohesion, experience, and unwavering ambition continue to set them apart.
