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A STAGGERING 26 turnovers, including nine in the first quarter, and a grim 8-of-18 return from the free throw line tonight consigned Australia to a shock 62-75 loss to African champion Nigeria, Alanna Smith leading a comeback which was throttled by the Opals' basic inability to handle the pressure.

There was plenty of it too as Nigeria played with physicality and purpose and if there was any semblance of Aussie complacency, they punished that most severely, leaving the Opals' Paris Olympics campaign teetering now with must-wins over Canada and France looming.

Coach Sandy Brondello opened with exciting younger stars Jade Melbourne, Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor, along with veterans Steph Talbot and Sami Whitcomb, a quintet which looked to have the right balance of youth, experience, enthusiasm and smarts to take the Opals into their next era.

Their ball movement and defensive work early was exemplary, Talbot to Smith for 2-0, Whitcomb to Magbegor for 4-0 and Magbegor to Melbourne made it a 6-0 start and going very much according to expectations.

Ahead 13-5 after Melbourne converted two free throws - Whitcomb the only other Opal to go 2-of-2 for the night - it all was going to script. But as Nigeria found its range, it also found its confidence.

Consecutive turnovers by Melbourne opened the door and the Nigerians literally drove through, tying the match at 13-13.

Smith's 3-pointer broke the 8-0 run but free throw misses by Tess Madgen, plus a turnover to her and others to Isobel Borlase and Cayla George meant Nigeria would take an 18-17 lead into the first break.

Ah, no worries. The Opals will settle down now while Nigeria will hit the wall in the second quarter, right?

Wrong.

Magbegor closing the first quarter missing a simple shot inside really was the sign of things to come.

Kristy Wallace somehow slapped a ball in to start the second quarter scoring as the Opals built the lead back to 22-18 before a Talbot turnover led to an easy basket and Australia was back on the merry-go-around.

It took a Whitcomb 3-pointer - she was 3-of-12 from range and Australia 10-of-27 from beyond the arc, only Lauren Jackson nailing both of her attempts - and the Opals led 25-24 with 4:54 to halftime.

Believe it or not, Australia would not taste the lead again, a four-point play by Ezinne Kalu after Talbot fouled her on a made triple, pushing Nigeria out 28-25.

At 2:31, Jackson's three drew Australia to 28-30 before Nigeria peeled off an 11-0 run to halftime in a 23-11 period for the African queens.

Melbourne started the second half with a turnover, but quickly compensated with a driving basket before another Whitcomb turnover.

Nigeria had its lead out to 45-30 before Australia ignited for its best run of the game.

Magbegor finished a tough basket before Whitcomb stroked a three in transition after a Talbot steal.

Smith's cut brought the Opals to 37-45 before she played superlative D before finishing a nice Australian offence of slick ball movement with a 3-point swish.

Australia was back to 40-45, a 10-0 response which prompted a Nigerian timeout and it had the deficit to 47-49 when Jackson splashed a threeball.

The 19-10 response for the third out of halftime was promising but Murjanatu Musa opening the last with a three meant the margin was back out to seven at 47-54.

At 6:02, Smith again with a three - and at this point she was 6-of-6 from the floor - had hopes building with Australia just 56-58 behind.

But the Opals never really threatened again, every hope squashed by an ill-conceived turnover or bad decision as the pressure and tension mounted beyond anything Australia could handle.

Smith, with 15 points and 7 rebounds was Australia's best, Talbot with a rare 12-rebound, 10-assist double but a performance marred by an awful 1-of-10 shooting and four turnovers.

Melbourne, Whitcomb and Magbegor all also had four turnovers, Nigeria owning the defensive lanes and playing with a joyous but focused abandon which guaranteed the Opals would bungle their only "unlosable" intrapool match. (And Nigeria would win its first Olympic game in 20 years.)

NIGERIA 75 (Kalu 19, Amukamara 14, Okonkwo 13, Musa 11; Musa, Akpanah 7; Amukamara 9 assts) d AUSTRALIA OPALS 62 (Smith 15, Whitcomb 13, Melbourne 11; Talbot 12 rebs; Talbot 10 assts) in Lille.

Group A: Spain 90 d China 89; Serbia 58 d Puerto Rico 55

Group B: Nigeria 75 d Australia 62; Canada, France

Group C: Belgium, Germany, Japan, USA

MEN'S RESULTS

Group A: Australia 92 d Spain 80; Canada 86 d Greece 79

Group B: Germany 97 d Japan 77; France 78 d Brazil 66

Group C: South Sudan 90 d Puerto Rico 79; USA 110 d Serbia 84

ON the eve of Australia's match with Nigeria, Lauren Jackson and Isobel Borlase (right) posed together for this generational picture.

Lauren made her Olympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games, further making a name for herself in the gold medal match against USA when she threw away the hair extension of American centre Lisa Leslie, igniting an international feud.

She competed next at the 2004 Athens Olympics ... before Izzy was born in September of that year.

Izzy made her Olympic debut tonight, Lauren currently appearing at her fifth Games after being Australia's flag-bearer in London 2012 at her fourth Olympics.

MOST likely the second-favourite men's team for Australian basketball fans, South Sudan, opened its Olympic history with a stunning win, upsetting Puerto Rico 90-79.

Theirs is such a great story, the newly-formed country not even possessing a single indoor basketball court, the game played outdoors, often on dirt. 

But this fantastic team, including NBL players such as Adelaide 36ers' Sunday Dech (pictured), Tasmania JackJumpers' championship winner Majok Deng, former Cairns Taipan and now Sydney King Bul Kuol and Kuany Kuany (DNP-CD) produced a 42-25 second half to seize their moment.

Kuol had 12 points with 2-of-3 threes as South Sudan continued its historic and meteoric rise on the international basketball scene.

Their win may even have acted as inspiration for their fellow African champions in the women, with Nigeria tonight always looking to have Australia's measure for a similar upset success.

Australia's Boomers continue their Olympic campaign tomorrow night from 9pm AEST (8.30pm SA) against Canada.