AmeriCup Centrobasket Qualifiers: Puerto Rico Holds Off Virgin Islands Late

Puerto Rico controlled this game for nearly the entire 40 minutes, leading by as many as 14 points on three separate occasions, but the Virgin Islands weren't done. A late push cut the gap all the way down, and Natalie Kleemann-Day (182-G/F-1990, college: Portland)'s two free throws with 1:09 left gave the visitors their first lead since the opening minutes, 75-74. Puerto Rico answered immediately, closing the game on a 7-0 run capped by a Zaida Gonzalez (175-G-2003, college: Stony Brook) three to escape with an 81-75 win at the Polideportivo Alexis Arguello on July 12, 2026.
Gonzalez led all Puerto Rico scorers with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, adding four assists. McGee-Stafford Imani (201-C-1994, college: Texas) controlled the glass with a game-high 13 rebounds and was named crunch-time MVP for her all-around contribution in the closing stretch, and Tayra Melendez (183-G-1993, college: URI) added 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Anisha George (188-F/C-1998, college: N.Texas) was outstanding for the Virgin Islands in defeat, finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds without a single turnover, but her effort wasn't quite enough to complete the late comeback.