Nigeria Fall to Hungary as D’Tigress Suffer FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Shock Defeat
Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered a major setback at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, falling to Hungary as the European side secured a historic first World Cup victory in 28 years.
Hungary, ranked 19th in the world compared to Nigeria’s eighth position, produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, recovering from their heavy 99-53 defeat to France in their opening game to stun the African champions.
Dorka Juhasz was the major difference, dominating Nigeria inside with 19 points and 16 rebounds, while captain Virag Takacs-Kiss added a strong all-round performance with 14 rebounds and two blocks.
The Hungarian duo combined for 36 points as their team controlled the paint, scoring 42 points inside and limiting Nigeria’s second-chance opportunities.
Nigeria made attempts to fight back after trailing 21-13 at the end of the first quarter and 36-26 at halftime, but Hungary maintained their composure and kept the D’Tigress at arm’s length throughout the second half.
The defeat leaves Nigeria facing a tougher battle for progression, while Hungary’s historic victory keeps their hopes of advancing to the next stage alive.
