POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Natalie Kleemann-Day
Group A
Dominican Republic - Puerto Rico 27-70
Puerto Rico recorded a comfortable win over Dominican Republic at the start of the Centrobasket tournament in Monterrey. Sandra Garcia (190-C-90, college: Wake Forest) stepped up with 15 points for the winners. It was a one-way traffic right from the start. Puerto Rico jumped to a 19:5 lead after the first frame. They stretched the gap at 23-point mark at the interval 35:12. Puerto Rico stayed dominant throughout the second half. They held Dominican Republic at 15 points in the next two quarters to breeze to the victory. Cynthia Valentin (174-SG-84, college: Indiana) and Mari Placido (181-F-87, agency: Gamble Sports Management) had 9 points each for the winners. Yohanna Morton (172-G-87, college: Robert Morris) and Danilsa Andujar (188-C) responded with 7 points each for Dominican Republic.
Mexico - Costa Rica 74-44
Mexico got to the winning start of their 2014 Centrobasket campaign. They prevailed against Costa Rica in Group A opener. Jazmin Valenzuela (187-C) paced the hosts with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Mexico registered an 18:13 lead after the first frame. They boosted the gap at 16-point mark at the interval. Mexico went on a decisive 25:6 run in the third term and cleared off for good. Casandra Asencio (180-SF) tossed in 13 points, while Sandra Sanchez added 12 points for the winners. Natalia Galvez (170-G-85) responded with 16 points for Costa Rica. Silvia Betancourt had 13 points in the defeat.
Group B
El Salvador - Cuba 31-78
The defending Champions cruise past El Salvador in their debut of Centrobasket 2014. Cuba exploded with a 78:31 win on July 22nd. Cuba started the game with a 21-4 surge and never looked behind. They added 22-6 rally in the second period and enjoyed a 43:10 halftime advantage. Moreover Cuba posted two more victories in the second half and finished the game with a 47-point difference. Marlenis Cepeda (193-C-85) stepped up with 13 points and Clenia Noblet (190-C-87) nailed 11. Suchitel Avila (184-PF-82) and Arlenys Romero followed them with 10 points each. Hillary Martinez (172-SF-97) produced 10 points in a loss and Vanessa Heredia brought 5.
U.S. Virgin Islands - Jamaica 56-46
U.S. Virgin Islands beat Jamaica in the opener of the Centrobasket 2014. They posted a 56L46 win in the first game of the tournament. U.S. Virgin Islands started the game with a 12-10 lead and added 14-9 rally in the second period. CBC champion entered the second half better, after the talk with his staff and points from Shenneika Smith and two triples from Lorin Dixon, managed to come forward just 33:30 after the first half of the quarter. U.S. Virgin Islands however tied the quarter at 15-15 and took 8-point lead after 30 minutes of the game. Moreover they added 15-13 run in the last stanza for the first success. Natalie Day (182-G/F-90, college: Portland) top-scored for the winners with 24 points and 18 rebounds, while Tanecka Carey (175-G-91) netted 10. Lanese Bough followed them with 8 points in a win. Shereesha Richards (185-F-93) replied with 15 points in a loss and Shenneika Smith added 10.
Centrobasket Women's Championship Awards 2024
