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Former SSU Women's Basketball Player Kalu In 2024 Olympics

 PARIS, France- Ezinee Kalu, the first and only Savannah State University women's basketball player to score 2,000 career points, is playing for the Nigerian women's basketball team in the 2024 Olympics being held in Paris France from July 26- August 11.

 


This will be Kalu's second appearance at the Olympic Games, having played with the Nigerian women's basketball squad at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, japan.
 
During her senior season at SSU, Kalu led the Lady Tigers to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I National Tournament, in 2015. She was also named to the 2015 All-MEAC First Team as well as the MEAC All-Tournament Team. Kalu also earned All-MEAC honors in 2012.
 
Kalu's career at Savannah State resulted in her playing in 131 games while averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assist and 2.9 steals per game.


 
After graduating from SSU in 2015 with a degree in history, Kalu has enjoyed a professional career that has taken her across international waters to play in Portugal, Hungary, Germany and France.
 
The 32-year old point guard who stands 5-foot-9 has earned many accolades which include being named the 2016 Guard of the Year in Portugal 1st Division; 2017 Defensive Player of the Year  in Budapest 1st Division; 2019 MVP of Afro-Basket Tournament; 2020 Top 12 Best Player of Africa; 2020 1st Team All-French Player; 2020 1st Team All-Imports France League; 2020 Guard of the Year France 1st Division.
 
Kalu was also named Captain of the Nigeran National Team in 2016-17 and was the 2018 Co-Captain of Nigerian Team. She has also been a member of AfroBasket Tournament championship teams in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

Kalu was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Her mother was born in Greenville, South Carolina and her father is Nigerian.
 
Team Nigeria played in Group B and faced Australia on July 29; the will play France on August 1 and Canada on August 4. Should Kalu and her teammates advance, the quarterfinals will be held August 7 and the semifinals on August 9. The bronze and gold medal games will be held on August 11.

Reposted from https://ssuathletics.com/news/2024/7/29/former-ssu-womens-basketball-player-kalu-in-2024-olympics.aspx

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