FIBA Africa U-16 Women Championship: Nigeria Beat Egypt 54-52

The Nigerian U-16 basketball women's team defeated Egypt 54-52 in their opening campaign of the 2015 FIBA Africa U-16 Women Championship in Madagascar.

The Egyptians took the lead in the first quarter of the game at the Palais des Sports Mahamasina but the Nigerian counterpart turned the table around in the second quarter with 11-6 lead.

Returning from the half-time break 20-26, the Nigerian girls raised their game to win 23-16 and 11-10 in the third and fourth quarters to win the match.

Rita James lead all scorers with 19 points, with Ene Adams adding 10 points and 13 rebounds and Onome James- Akinbode clearing the boards with 10 rebounds in addition to 3 points as Nigeria came from a first quarter slump (9-20 points) to rebound (11-6)(23-16)(11-10) in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters to overcome 3 time Runners up Egypt in their opening game, this afternoon.

Reacting to the victory, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijjani Umar, commended the team for the victory.

"It is a good way to re-launch Nigeria into age-grade competition in Africa, after a four- year self-exile to sanitise the system,’’ he said.

Umar said he was hoping the team’s players would see the competition as a learning process and use it very well.

"They should just remain focused and enjoy the game.

"The position of the NBBF is that the team is not taking part in the competition to win at all cost, but to use it as a platform of getting future players of the senior team,’’ he said.

Nigeria's next game will be on Sunday against hosts Madagascar who beat Morocco 62-29 also on Saturday and will take on Zimbabwe on Monday and Morocco on Tuesday to round off the group games.

Meanwhile, in a Group B match at the championship which ends on July 19, Angola beat Tunisia 68-57.

Three-times champions Mali, Mozambique and Rwanda are the other teams in Group B.

The competition, which is in its fourth edition, is the qualifiers for the 2016 FIBA Women World Championship, with the winners and runners-up qualifying.(NAN)