FIBA W/Cup Qualifiers: CIV End D’Tigers Unbeaten Run With 76-42 Win

Cote d’Ivoire trounced NIgeria’s D’Tigers in their opening FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers second round game in Abidjan on Friday, reports Completesport.com.

The ‘Les Elephants’ of Cote d’Ivoire were outstanding all through the encounter bringing D’Tigers’ nine game unbeaten run in the Group F qualifiers to an end.

Encouraged by their vocieferous home fans, Côte d’Ivoire took the game to the Nigerian side Nigeria and it has paid off as they won all four quarters of the game.

Alex Nwora’s team lost 10-14 in the first quarter,9-14 in the second quarter and 12 -27 in the third quarter. In the final quarter, the 2017 finalist lost 15-17.

Team captain Ike Diogu and Mike Umeh were the two top scorers for the D’Tigers in the defeat.

Diogu scored ten points five rebounds and two assists while Umeh who was making a return to the team after three years posted nine points, one rebound and one assist.

Cote d’Ivoire, are now two wins away from qualifying for 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. They face Rwanda on Saturday in their next game.

The FIBA AfroBasket 2015 champions, D’Tigers will be looking to bounce back to winning ways tomorrow (Saturday) when they face Central Africa Republic on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Senegal became the fourth African nation to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China after crushing Rwanda 81-41.

Nigeria, Tunisia and Angola are the other three teams to have qualified.

By Johnny Edward.