Nigeria’s pre-Olympics qualification campaign came to an end on Tuesday at the Eko Convention Center in Lagos as the D’Tigers lost their second qualification game in a row.
After losing to Senegal in their opening encounter of the qualifiers on Monday, coach Ogoh Odaudu’s squad needed a win against Mali on Tuesday to get back on track.
Unfortunately for the D’Tigers, they came up short for the second time in two days as the Malians beat them 77-68 in their backyard.
In the game on Monday, the Nigerian side looked to be in control of the game but fell short in the fourth quarter as the Senegalese side defeated them 93-87.
While in the game on Tuesday, the D’Tigers were able to win 17-15 after a closely contested first quarter of the clash.
In the second quarter, Odaudu’s side displayed strong play, with Chimezie Metu gaining the lead. Nigeria’s Ike Iroegbu made nearly all of his three-point shots as Nigeria led 43-38 at the half.
The D’Tigers maintained the high level of play from earlier in the contest and won 61-53 in the third quarter.
However, despite their effective offensive play, their defense fell short as they were unable to contain their West African rivals, who rallied in the fourth quarter to win the game 77-68.
While the D’Tigers are officially out of the pre-Olympics qualification campaign, Mali and Senegal are qualified for the semi-finals.
