Olympics 2024: HBCU grad keys Nigerian upset in women’s hoops

The Nigerian women recorded a big upset in the women’s basketball in Paris Olympics 2024, and an HBCU graduate was at the center of it all.

Ezinee Kalu scored a total of 19 points — 11 of them in the first quarter — to help her squad pull off the win. Nigeria beat Australia 75-62 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille France on Monday.

The former HBCU star hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter to help her team. This came just days after the Nigerian women’s basketball team was allegedly denied admittance to the delegation’s boat for the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony.

During her senior season at Savannah State , Kalu led the Lady Tigers to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I National Tournament, in 2015. She was also named to the 2015 All-MEAC First Team as well as the MEAC All-Tournament Team. Kalu also earned All-MEAC honors in 2012.

Kalu’s career at Savannah State resulted in her playing in 131 games while averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assist and 2.9 steals per game.

After graduating from SSU in 2015 with a degree in history, Kalu has enjoyed a professional career that has taken her across international waters to play in Portugal, Hungary, Germany and France.

The 32-year old point guard who stands 5-foot-9 has earned many accolades which include being named the 2016 Guard of the Year in Portugal 1 ^st Division; 2017 Defensive Player of the Year  in Budapest 1 ^st Division; 2019 MVP of Afro-Basket Tournament; 2020 Top 12 Best Player of Africa; 2020 1 ^st Team All-French Player; 2020 1 ^st Team All-Imports France League; 2020 Guard of the Year France 1 ^st Division.

Kalu was also named Captain of the Nigeran National Team in 2016-17 and was the 2018 Co-Captain of Nigerian Team. She has also been a member of AfroBasket Tournament championship teams in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

Kalu was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Her mother was born in Greenville, South Carolina and her father is Nigerian.

The win means Nigeria will play France on August 1 and Canada on August 4 as Paris Olympics 2024 continue. Should Kalu and her teammates advance, the quarterfinals will be held August 7 and the semifinals on August 9. The bronze and gold medal games will be held on August 11.

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