Edogi, Svandrlik Compete Internationally In China

SUZHOU, CHINA – Two recent alumni of the Iona College men's basketball program recently participated in the PEAK International Invitational Tournament. TK Edogi suited up for the Nigerian national team and Jan Svandrlik laced up the sneakers for the Czech Republic.­­ The Nigerian team placed second at the PEAK Tournament. The Tigers lost 93-78 in the final the world top-ranked United States of America. Nigeria bested the Iranians 73-72 in the semifinals and won two of its three group stage games in route to its finals berth. "I'm beyond blessed to wear my nation's colors and represent Nigeria on the international stage," states Edogi. On seeing his former teammate, "When I saw Jan, I got really excited. It was great to connect and see him. Watching him compete for his country was a really cool moment. It just proves that relationships you develop at Iona stick with you and stretch even across the globe." Edogi battled former teammate Svandrlik and the Czech Republic in their first group stage game, with the Tigers coming out on time 77-71. China bested Nigeria 88-81 but Edogi and his teammates bounced back to beat Germany, 77-70. Group stage was a challenge for the Nigerians seeing how they had to play some games without a full complement of players. With just six players to start the group stage, Edogi and his teammates played 40 minutes per game. Following the PEAK International Invitational Tournament, Edogi and the Nigerian national team participated in an additional tournament, the Atlas Challenge. In Xi'an, China the Tigers competed against Germany, Iran and China. Nigeria went winless in the event, suffering single-digit losses to China and Germany. Edogi had a standout game against China collecting 20 points and 15 rebounds. The FIBA African Qualifiers will return to Lagos from Sept. 14-16 and Nigeria will host Group F. Nigeria will battle against Senegal, Cote D I'voire, Central Africa Republic, Rwanda and Mali.