Nigeria’s U-17 girls crash out of FIBA World Cup after defeat to Hungary

The Nigerian U-17 girls basketball team has bowed out of the FIBA U-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup following a hard-fought 74-51 loss to Hungary in the round of 16.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the young Nigerian side struggled to keep up with their European opponents despite starting the match on a promising note. The first quarter ended evenly at 9-9, but the team faltered in the second quarter, conceding 30 points while managing only 12, giving Hungary a comfortable lead going into halftime.

The Nigerian girls mounted a stronger fight in the third quarter, trailing closely with a 15-16 scoreline, but it wasn’t enough to swing momentum in their favour. Hungary maintained their dominance in the final quarter, winning it 16-15 to seal their advancement.

Hungary’s Kinga Jisepovits led her side with 19 points, while Eliza Farbas grabbed 13 rebounds to help her team maintain control throughout the match. On the Nigerian side, Tobenna Nweke was the standout performer with 12 points, and Francis Chukwu added 9 rebounds.

Despite the loss, Nigeria’s team achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African team to win a game and reach the round of 16 at the FIBA U-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup.