Nigeria down Mozambique to advance to Semi-Finals

YAOUNDE (AfroBasket Women 2015) - Nigeria became the first team to advance to the Semi-Finals at AfroBasket Women 2015 after beating Mozambique 71-66 in Thursday's first Quarter-Final in Yaounde, Cameroon.

On Nigeria's Independence Day, Joyce Ekworomadu led them with a game-high 20 points, while Odelia Mafanela and Deolinda Ngulela combined for 34 Mozambique points.  

Turning Point: Adaora Elonu made a lay-up with 5:45 minutes left to play that gave Nigeria a 60-58 lead and they never trailed again.

Stats Don't Lie: Mozambique stepped onto the court planing on making the most of their three-point shooting. However, they hit only 5 of 29 attempts from beyond the arc.

It's general knowledge that Nazir Sale's team arrived in Yaounde with a shorthanded roster and that became evident as the team's bench contributed only five points against Nigeria's 28.

Game Hero: Helen Ogunjimi has officially become Nigeria's secret weapon. She not only played aggressive defense, but the 30-year-old guard also hit two crucial three-pointers that kept Nigeria very much alive in the contest.

Bottom Line: Ten lead changes indicates how competitive the game was. Two years ago, Mozambique upset Nigeria in the Quarter-Finals, and on Thursday they were very close to repeating the feat, but Nigeria took the court in desperation mode and return to the tournament's Semi-Finals for the first time since 2011. 

Ndidi Madu, who did a great job on the boards with a game-high 13 rebounds, later told FIBA.com: "It was a tough game for us. Mozambique is a great team. We didn't do a good of job rebounding. We definitely need to able to rebound in order to win ball games. It does not matter who we face tomorrow, we just need to be ready for the fight.  

FIBA