Olympic Women’s Basketball Report: Johannes Assists, Kalu Scores as France Beats Nigeria for Second Consecutive Win

On the evening of August 1st, the second round of the Olympic women’s basketball group stage matches began, with host nation France taking on Nigeria. At the start of the first quarter, Musa made both free throws, Fortu scored with a layup, and then Ayayi hit a three-pointer, giving France a 5-2 lead. Immediately following, Akpana scored just before the buzzer with a layup, and then Salo hit a mid-range shot. Ayayi also scored with a jump shot, and Williams completed a fast break layup, extending France’s run to 6-0. Nigeria called a timeout. After the timeout, Musa scored with a layup, and Badiane also scored. Williams continued to score after driving to the basket, making it 15-6, as France extended their lead to 9 points. Soon after, Kalu scored with a layup off a drive, and Williams hit a jump shot. Amkamara scored with a fadeaway shot, and Kalu hit a jump shot. Rupert also scored with a fadeaway shot, as the two teams traded baskets. In the final stages of the game, Kalu hit a three-pointer, and Badiane scored with a layup. Okonko scored with a three-point jump shot, and Rupert responded with a three-pointer. Amkamara scored with a layup after driving to the basket. The first quarter ended with France leading Nigeria by 4 points, at 24-20.

In the second quarter, Johannes hit a three-pointer with a dry jump shot, which Okonko responded to with a three-pointer. Johannes immediately hit another three-pointer with a step-back jump shot. Kalu made both free throws, and Chatro hit a jump shot. France led 32-25, extending their lead to 7 points. In the latter part of the quarter, Musa hit a jump shot and made the additional free throw. Balogun scored with a fadeaway shot, as Nigeria scored 5 consecutive points, reducing the deficit to 2 points. Then, Williams hit a jump shot, and Badiane scored with a step-back jump shot. France responded with a 4-0 run, bringing the lead back up to 6 points. Nigeria called a timeout. After the timeout, Williams scored with a layup after driving to the basket, and Amkamara made one of two free throws. The second quarter ended with France leading Nigeria by 7 points, at 38-31.

In the third quarter, Vukosavljevic scored with a layup. Both teams then struggled to score for an awkward period. Two minutes later, Williams broke the scoring drought with a layup, extending France’s lead to 42-31, a double-digit lead. Soon after, Kalu made both free throws, and Salo scored with a three-point jump shot. Kalu continued to score after driving to the basket, and Salo scored with a layup. Nigeria trailed France 35-47. In the latter part of the quarter, Bonice scored with a layup, and Enabosi scored after driving to the basket, and then she scored with a jump shot. Nigeria suddenly lost momentum, but Johannes hit a three-pointer. France extended their lead to 13 points. Nigeria called a timeout. After the timeout, both teams struggled to score again. Finally, Malonga scored with a jump shot. The third quarter ended with France leading Nigeria by 15 points, at 54-39.

In the final quarter, Johannes started with a three-pointer, and Malonga scored with a layup after driving to the basket. Musa scored two points to ease the scoring drought. Then, Johannes hit another three-pointer, and Chatro made both free throws. France went on a 10-3 run, increasing their lead to 22 points, at 64-42. Soon after, Kalu made both free throws, and Musa scored with a hook shot. Akpana scored with a layup, as Nigeria scored consecutively to reduce the deficit. But then Lacan hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, not leaving any opportunity for Nigeria. Then Bieden scored with a layup, and Balogun made one of two free throws. Williams scored with a turnaround shot, and Johannes assisted Bieden in scoring under the basket. France maintained a 20-point lead at 71-51. Time was running out for Nigeria. In the last two minutes, Kalu made one of two free throws, and Lacan made both free throws. Luper made both free throws, and Salo hit a three-pointer with a step-back. Nigeria called their final timeout, but there were no significant changes after the timeout. Ultimately, the match ended with France defeating Nigeria 75-54 for their second consecutive win.

Player Statistics:
France: Johannes 15 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal; Williams 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals; Rupert 9 points, 1 rebound; Salo 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Ayayi 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal; Badiane 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal; Chatro 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal; Malonga 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal; Lacan 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist; Fotuks 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist; Bonice 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Michel 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals;
Nigeria: Kalu 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals; Musa 14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal; Okonko 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals; Amkamara 5 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists; Akpana 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal; Enabosi 4 points, 1 rebound; Balogun 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal; Ebo 2 rebounds; Egafu 1 rebound; Okoro 1 rebound, 1 assist;

Starting Lineups:
France: Fotu, Michel, Salo, Williams, Bieden
Nigeria: Okonkwo, Akpana, Barogun, Musa, Kalu