Macaulay scores 13 points as Nigeria’s D’Tigress crush Colombia 70-37 in FIBA World Cup qualifiers
Victoria Macaulay led the scoring with 13 points as Nigeria’s D’Tigress beat Colombia 70-37 in their opening game of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 qualifiers in France on Wednesday.
The reigning African champions clinched the first quarter 18:12 before losing 17-16 in the second quarter but still managed to secure a 34-29 halftime lead at the Astroballe sports arena in Lyon.
Nigeria came back into the second half more ruthless as the D’Tigress proceeded to score a total of 36 points in both the third and fourth quarters, while limiting Colombia to just eight at the same time.
The D’Tigress have already qualified for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 scheduled to take place in Germany in September as African champions. But the tournament can help the team to improve their FIBA ranking ahead of the tournament.
Nigeria will face South Korea in their second game of the tournament on Thursday. The country will then play Philippines on March 14, hosts France on March 15, and Germany on March 17, with the top three teams securing tickets to the World Cup.
Other countries who have also qualified for the tournament include Germany (host), the U.S. (Champions of America), Belgium (Champions of Europe) and Australia (Champions of Asia).
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