POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Guatemala U17 - Bahamas U17 61:46
Guatemala capped their U17 CentroBasket tournament with victory. They held off Bahamas yesterday to claim the first win at the competition. Guatemala clinched the 5th spot, while Bahamas remained in the sixth place winless.
Guatemala outscored Bahamas by 6 points in the first period but Bahamas trimmed the deficit to 2 points at halftime. Guatemala overwhelmed their opponents in the third period and never looked back en route to the victory.
Linda Gonzalez (-93) had 19 points and 12 boards for Guatemala. Zaby Aldana (-94) added 11 points and 7 assists for the winners. Taneka Sandiford (-95) responded with 13 points and 11 boards for Bahamas. Latonya Hamilton tallied 11 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss.
Guatemala U17: Linda Gonzalez 19+12 boards, Zaby Aldana 11, Vivian Fernandez 9
Bahamas U17: Taneka Sandiford 13+11 boards, Latonya Hamilton 11+10 boards
Costa Rica U17 - Virgin Islands U17 52:44
Costa Rican U17 National Team claimed the third spot at the CentroBasket tournament in Mexico. They held off Virgin Islands on the final day of the competition to grab the last ticket to the U18 Fiba Americas Championship. Costa Rica and Virgin Islands entered the game tied at 2-2 record and had to win to take the needed third position. Virgin Islands uttered the first word. They limited Costa Rica to 8 points in the opening stanza and ensured a 4-point lead after ten minutes. Costa Rican side answered with their own stifling defense in the second quarter holding Virgin Islands to 6 points and stealing a narrow 19:18 halftime lead. The third period turned out into a battle of nerves as the teams exchanged the baskets. Costa Rica entered the fourth frame ahead by the same one point. Virgin Islands seemed hopeful but ran out of gas and scored just 13 points in the fourth frame to allow Costa Rica to cruise to the victory.
Michelle Mayorga (-93) produced 13 points for Costa Rica. Valeria Miranda (-94) finished with 11 points for the winners. Lanese Bough (-92) responded with 13 points and 6 steals for Virgin Islands. Ky'laine Rogers had 10 points and 15 boards in defeat.
Vrigin Islands enjoyed a 49:40 advantage on the glass but sank only 23% from the field and committed 24 turnovers.
Costa Rica U17: Michelle Mayorga 13, Valeria Miranda 11, Ana Matamoros 8+11 boards
Virgin Islands U17: Lanese Bough 13, Ky'laine Rogers 10+15 boards
Mexico U17 - Puerto Rico U17 85:71
Mexican U17 team earned the fifth straight win at the Centrobasket tournament. They held off Puerto Rico yesterday to clinch the top spot in the competition. Both Mexico and Puerto Rico secured the birth at the U18 Fiba Americas Championship.
Puerto Rico also enjoyed a perfect record before the game and looked forward to extending it. But the hosts played it safe in the first frame and grabbed a 4-point lead at the first intermission. Mexico unleashed a 21:9 run in the second stanza to earn a 16-point advantage at halftime. Puerto Rico needed a major break to sober up. They pulled on the throttle to won the third frame trimming the distance at 13 points. But Mexico stayed cool in the final minutes ensuring a comfortable win at the end.
Ana Noriega (-93) scored 25 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for Mexico. Maria Acero (-93) added 13 points, while Andrea Medina had 11 for the winners. Rita Acevedo (168-G-92) answered with 22 points and 10 boards for Puerto Rico. Diamalises Rivera had 15 points in defeat. Mexico outrebounded their opponents 48:41 and forced those to 29 turnovers.
Mexico U17: Ana Noriega 25, Maria Acero 13, Andrea Medina 11
Puerto Rico U17: Rita Acevedo 22+10 boards, Diamalises Rivera 15
