Nigeria’s campaign at the FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup has come to an end following a 77-51 loss to Hungary in the Round of 16 in Brno, Czech Republic.
The Junior D’Tigress had entered the tournament with optimism, especially after securing a historic opening win against China, where standout performer Nora Ezike scored 25 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting. However, momentum quickly shifted in the group stages.
A crushing 113-42 loss to Canada in their second group game, followed by a 79-61 defeat to Portugal, left the Nigerian side facing a difficult path in the knockout rounds.
Hungary proved too strong on Wednesday, dominating the game from start to finish. The European side displayed efficient ball movement and applied suffocating defensive pressure that held Nigeria to just 51 points—one of their lowest tallies in the tournament.
The 26-point gap reflected Hungary’s superiority, particularly in exploiting Nigeria’s weaknesses in the paint and maintaining control throughout the contest.
Despite the result, there were individual bright spots for the Nigerian team. Tobenna Nweke led the scoring with 12 points and added four rebounds. Jessica Ajayi contributed 11 points and three boards, while Momoluwa Tewogbade chipped in with nine points and three rebounds.
Nigeria’s exit, although disappointing, marks a step forward in international experience for the young squad and highlights areas for development in future competitions.
