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Rena Wakama’s women put up a spirited performance at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium to register their first win in the Olympics since beating South Korea in Athens in 2004. Before the start of the competition, Australia was ranked third in the event’s power ranking while D’Tigress were ranked 12th, but the ladies did not consider their ranking before beating the Opals in a dominating fashion.
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The Nigerian team was all over the Australians from the start of the game as the trio of Ezinne Kalu, Murjanatu Musa, and Amy Okonkwo scrapped those loose balls and shot with superior ease to put Nigeria in a comfortable position. At the end of the first quarter, Nigeria led by 18-17 and extended the lead to 41-28 by halftime. Ezinne Kalu was firing from all cylinders, hitting three-point shots. On the other hand, Murjanatu made sure of the Australins’ turnovers, with her blocks and steals.
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The Opals tried to get back into the game in the third quarter and the initial stages of the fourth quarter, but the Nigerian girls held on to record a historic victory. As a result, D’Tigress will face France on Thursday, August 1, 2024, in their second game of Group B.
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