Nigeria Makes History in Olympic Basketball Quarterfinals
Ezinna Kalu scored 21 points as Nigeria became the first African team, male or female, to advance to the Olympic quarterfinals in basketball, defeating Canada 79-70 on Sunday.
The Nigerians (2-1) are now waiting to learn who their opponent will be. They have now matched their pool play wins for a country that came to France hunting for its first Olympic victory since the 2004 Athens Games.
They moved to midcourt to begin celebrating, and an assistant coach used her phone to record the scene. The Nigerians paused to high-five the Canadians before continuing their celebration in a midcourt huddle.
An assistant coach grabbed a fan’s flag for photos on the court, and the Nigerians took their time hugging and posing for more shots, savoring the moment.
Canada, rated fifth in the world, goes winless in three games after being eliminated on the penultimate day of group play in women’s basketball by a 12-ranked club.
Five countries had already won berths, with the United States aiming for a record seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal. The others are Spain, Serbia, France, and Germany. The draw for the quarterfinals follows the final game between Australia and France.
Nigeria did not qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and went winless in Tokyo. This women’s squad was denied entry to Nigeria’s boat for the opening ceremony on July 26, and will now play on Wednesday at Bercy Arena on the Seine River.
Nigeria scored the first six points of the game. Captain Amy Okonkwo damaged her right shoulder early in the second quarter when she collided with Canada forward Aaliyah Edwards while diving for a loose ball, and Canada led 41-37 at halftime.
Okonkwo returned in the third quarter, when Nigeria opened with a 13-1 run. Nigeria outscored Canada 23-5 in the third quarter, taking a 60-46 lead into the fourth.
Elizabeth Balogun scored 14 points for Nigeria, while Promise Amukamara had 12.
Shay Colley led Canada with 17 points, while Bridget Carleton had 13 and Kayla Alexander 12.
Belgium 85, Japan 58.
Emma Meesseman had 30 points and 11 rebounds as Belgium defeated Japan to secure the first of three remaining quarterfinal berths. The Cats gathered near midcourt, hugging and dancing, with some wiping tears from their eyes in excitement after the final bell.
Japan (0-3) was eliminated after winning silver in the Tokyo Games three years prior. The Japanese wiped away tears as they exited the court.
This is the second consecutive Olympics in which the silver medalist has failed to medal in the following Olympics. Spain won silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games before losing to France in the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
Belgium (1-2) needed to defeat Japan by 27 points to finish with a higher point differential than China and continue playing. The Cats had a packed house attempting to help, with Belgium only 20 miles (32 kilometers) away and China (1-2) watching the scoreboard through the final three games to determine its destiny.
Rui Machada’s jumper gave Japan an early 4-2 lead.Antonia Delaere’s three-pointer put the Cats up for good, and they led 19-7 at the end of the first, with the final margin the main concern.
Japan made it difficult for Belgium, who led 39-23 at halftime after a 20-16 advantage in the second quarter.In the third quarter, the Cats outscored Japan 22-16, putting them ahead 61-39.
Fans shouted for each Belgium bucket, knowing they needed to win by a point margin. Elise Ramette’s three-pointer at 4:52 extended the lead to 71-44, prompting a Japan timeout.Ramette finished with 16 points, while Delaeare and Maxuella Mbaka Lisowa both had 12.
Saki Hayashi topped Japan with 13, while Evelyn Mawuli contributed 12.
