Ezinna Kalu scored 21 factors as Nigeria made Olympic historical past by turning into the primary African crew, male or feminine, to succeed in the Olympic quarterfinals in basketball when it beat Canada 79-70 on Sunday.
The Nigerians (2-1) now wait to be taught its opponent. It already has doubled the variety of wins in pool play for a rustic that got here to France in search of its first Olympic victory because the 2004 Athens Video games.
They went to midcourt to begin celebrating, with an assistant coach utilizing her cellphone to document the second. The Nigerians stopped to high-five the Canadians, then returned to celebrating with a midcourt huddle.
An assistant coach grabbed a flag from a fan for images on the court docket, and the Nigerians took their time hugging and posing for extra images as they savored the second.
Canada, ranked fifth on the planet, leaves winless in three video games, eradicated on the ultimate day of group play for ladies’s basketball by a crew ranked twelfth.
5 nations got here in already having clinched berths, led by the U.S. making an attempt to win an unprecedented eighth straight Olympic gold. The others are Spain, Serbia, France and Germany. The draw setting the quarterfinals follows the ultimate sport between Australia and host nation France.
Nigeria did not qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Video games and went winless in Tokyo. This girls’s crew was denied entry to Nigeria’s boat for the opening ceremony on July 26, and now it would play Wednesday in Bercy Enviornment on the banks of the Seine River.
Nigeria scored the primary six factors of the sport. Captain Amy Okonkwo damage her proper shoulder early within the second quarter, colliding with Canada ahead Aaliyah Edwards diving for a unfastened ball, and Canada took a 41-37 lead into halftime.
Okonkwo returned for the third quarter, when Nigeria opened with a 13-1 run. The Nigerians outscored Canada 23-5 within the third and took a 60-46 lead into the fourth.
Elizabeth Balogun added 14 factors for Nigeria, and Promise Amukamara had 12.
Shay Colley led Canada with 17 factors, Bridget Carleton had 13 and Kayla Alexander 12.
Emma Meesseman scored 30 factors and grabbed 11 rebounds as Belgium routed Japan to clinch the primary of three remaining quarterfinal berths. The Cats got here collectively, hugging and dancing at midcourt, with some wiping tears from their eyes in celebration after the ultimate buzzer.
Japan (0-3) was eradicated after successful silver three years in the past on the Tokyo Video games. The Japanese wiped away tears as they left the court docket.
That is the second straight Olympics that the silver medalist did not medal within the subsequent Olympics. Spain received silver in 2016 on the Rio de Janeiro Video games, then misplaced to France within the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
Belgium (1-2) wanted to beat Japan by 27 factors to complete with a greater level differential than China to maintain enjoying. The Cats had a packed home making an attempt to assist, with Belgium a mere 20 miles (32 kilometers) away and China (1-2) watching the scoreboard by means of the ultimate three video games to be taught its destiny.
Japan led 4-2 within the opening minutes on a jumper by Rui Machada.
Antonia Delaere’s 3-pointed put the Cats forward to remain, they usually led 19-7 on the finish of the primary with the ultimate margin the most important concern. Japan didn’t make it straightforward as Belgium had a 20-16 edge within the second for a 39-23 lead at halftime.
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The Cats outscored Japan 22-16 within the third for a 61-39 lead. Followers roared for every Belgium bucket, understanding the necessity to not solely win however by the purpose margin. Elise Ramette’s 3 with 4:52 pushed the result in the 27 factors wanted at 71-44, and Becky Massey hugged her to begin a Japan timeout.
Ramette completed with 16 factors, and Delaeare and Maxuella Mbaka Lisowa every had 12.
Saki Hayashi led Japan with 13, and Evelyn Mawuli added 12.