By Lekan Olaseinde
With agency
Nigeria’s hope of securing Rio Olympic berth suffered a setback as Anastasiya Verameyenka of Belarus came up with a dominant performance to inspire the Europeans to a 71-60 win over Nigeria in Monday’s FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) Group C opener.
Verameyenka hasn’t made her first field goals until early in the third quarter, but that hasn’t prevented the 1.95m center from finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds 5 blocked shots. In the process, Yelena Leuchanka complemented her twin tower with team-best 15 points and 13 rebounds.
As much as Adaora Elonu tried to row against the tide with her game-high game-high 19 points, the game belonged to Belarus.
The coming of Maryia Papova was the turning point for Belarus as she stepped on the court, Belarus were 0-4 from beyond the arc. Then the 21-year-old buried three of her four three-pointers to give Belarus a 38-32 half-time lead.
Stats Don’t Lie: Stopping Verameyenka and Leuchanka near the basket was mission impossible for Nigeria, but making only 2 of 14 three-point attempts proved even more detrimental for the D’Tigress.
Game Hero: Even though Leuchanka finished with a team-high 15 points, Papova became the game-changer for her lethal scoring in the third quarter.
The Bottom Line: Nigeria had a spirited first half, leaving the outcome in limbo, but Belarus kept their best for last. When coach Anatoli Buyalski instructed a zone defense in the third quarter, Nigeria was never the same again.
