Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team D’Tigers were heavily beaten in their first game at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games 110-65 by New Zealand in the men’s preliminary round Pool A on Friday, reports [url]Completesportsnigeria.com[/url].

The Ike Diogu-captained side lost all four quarters.

Azuoma Dike led the way for the D’Tigers with 15 points, six rebounds and one assist while Diogu hit 12 points and 14 rebounds.

The quartet of Thomas Abercrombie, Jordan Ngatai, Finn Delany and Robert Loe were New Zealand’s top performers in the game.

Abercrombie recorded 21 points and eight rebounds while Ngatai scored 16 points and four rebounds. Delany had 14 points and eight rebounds. Loe on his part recorded 12 points and eight rebounds.

Nigeria will take on Canada, who also lost 95-55 to Australia earlier on Friday, in their next game at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday.

D’Tigers’ final group game is against hosts Australia on the 10th on April.

According to organisers, the top two teams in each group will proceed to the semifinals stage while the bottom two teams from Pool A will play the top two teams from Pool B in the qualifying finals.

Nigeria’s best finish in the basketball event at the Commonwealth Games was a fourth-place finish at the 2006 games.

Source:https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/commonwealth-games-new-zealand-blow-out-dtigers-in-mens-basketball/