Nigeria surprises Aussies in Olympic women’s basketball with 1st win since 2004

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — Ezinne Kalu made her first four 3-pointers and scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half Monday as Nigeria earned its first win in women’s basketball at the Olympics since 2004, upsetting Australia 75-62 in their group play opener.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games and went winless in Tokyo. Australia is led by coach Sandy Brondello from the WNBA’s New York Liberty and came in ranked third in the world, compared to 12th for Nigeria.

Fans inside Pierre Mauroy Stadium were on their feet cheering and applauding Nigeria in the final seconds before the players and coaches ran to midcourt to jump, hug and celebrate. Then they high-fived the Australians.

It may have helped erase a painful start to the Games for the Nigeria team, which was denied access to the country’s boat during the opening ceremony.

Promise Amukamara had 14 points for Nigeria. Amy Okonkwo scored 13, and Murjanatu Musa finished with 11.

Before departing the court, the Nigerians went over toward their bench to wave at their fans.

The first round of group play concluded Monday with losses for four of the world’s top six women’s teams. No. 2-ranked China lost to Spain in overtime in the pool play opener. Sixth-ranked Belgium and No. 5 Canada also lost.

The U.S., chasing an unprecedented eighth straight Olympic gold, concluded the first round of games by avoiding the upset bug. The Americans routed 2021 silver medalist Japan 102-76.

The Opals lost forward Bec Allen after she injured a hamstring during their final pre-Olympic warmup game. Amy Atwell took Allen’s roster spot, and Australia started well enough by scoring the first six points.

Nigeria got going, taking a 24-22 lead. Kalu, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, and played at Savannah State, was perfect from deep before she missed her fifth 3-point attempt with 1:24 left in the second quarter. The Nigerians scored the final 11 points for a 41-28 halftime lead.

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Nigeria made it 45-30 on a layup by Musa with 6:53 left. Australia scored 10 straight points as the Opals outscored Nigeria 19-10 to close to 51-47 going into the fourth.

Alanna Smith’s 3-pointer got the Opals within two at 58-56 with 6:04 left. That was as close as they would get. When Okonkwo finished a fast break with a layup with 50.1 seconds remaining, the Nigerians came together with their arms in the air during an Aussie timeout knowing they were on the verge of a big victory.

Smith led the Opals with 15 points. Sami Whitcomb added 13, and Jade Melbourne had 11. Australia was just 8 of 18 at the free-throw line and turned it over 26 times, leading to 26 points for Nigeria.

France 75, Canada 54

France shut down Canada while allowing only two points in the second quarter, turning a tight game into a runaway opening victory.

FIBA said the two points allowed, as part of a 23-2 period for France, was the fewest points allowed in any quarter of an Olympic game male or female.

Gabby Williams said it was an important performance given France coach Jean Aime Toupane’s emphasis on defense.

“His identity that he wants us to have is defense, defense, defense,” Williams said. “Like he doesn’t care if the match finishes 30 to 40. ... He’s an emphasis on defense. So that means everything that we’ve been doing these past few months is working.”

Marieme Badiane led France with 13 points, and Williams finished with 12.

The host country was backed by a loud crowd as it took on the world’s fifth-best team. The Canadians, who had the men’s basketball team on hand for support, led 18-15 after the first quarter.

France then dominated the second, opening a 38-20 halftime lead that had fans doing the wave in the final minute. Canada got its only basket of the period when Bridget Carleton scored inside with 1:29 left.

France, which plays Nigeria on Thursday in Group B, applauded the fans after the big win. Canada plays Australia on Thursday with each team looking for its first win. Germany is in Group C with the U.S., 2021 silver medalist Japan and Belgium, which has been called the “Group of Death.”

″If there’s anything worse than death it’s that group,” Germany coach Lisa Thomaidis said of France’s group.

This is Canada’s fourth straight Olympics and eighth overall since the sport debuted in Montreal in 1976. The Canadians have never finished better than fourth, and that was 40 years ago in Los Angeles.

Kia Nurse and Shay Colley each scored 11 for Canada.

Germany 83, Belgium 69

Nyara Sabally scored 16 points to help Germany turn its Olympic debut into a historic victory. But she went to the locker room after she collided with a New York Liberty teammate in the third quarter.

Sabally had to be helped off the court after Leonie Fiebich’s left shoulder smashed into her jaw with 1:25 left in the third. Sabally grabbed her face, bent over and then laid down on the court after the inadvertent contact that overshadowed Germany’s big victory.

The Germans announced their Olympic arrival by scoring six points in the first minute against the 2023 EuroBasket champs. Ranked 19th in the world, Germany led 25-11 after the first quarter, 46-25 at halftime and 60-42 after the third.

Satou Sabally, who plays with Dallas in the WNBA, led Germany with 17 points. Alexis Peterson had 15, Fiebich finished with 14 and Frieda Buhner added 11 in a big win in a group featuring the reigning Olympic champs in the United States and 2021 silver medalist Japan.

Emma Meesseman scored 25 points for Belgium, which lost point guard Julie Allemand to a setback after she had surgery on her right ankle in March. The Cats had lots of loud fans trying to boost a team that forced the U.S. to score late in February to beat them by a point.

Julie Vanloo added 18, and Kyara Linskens had 12.

Coming up

All women’s teams get a day off Tuesday as the men play four games at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. They resume Wednesday with Spain playing Puerto Rico and China facing Serbia in Group A.

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AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this report.

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