World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers: USA Rout Colombia Behind Third-Quarter Surge in Washington

The United States pulled away from Colombia in the third quarter and cruised to a 104-80 win in Second Round action of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers on Monday at CareFirst Arena in Washington. Colombia actually held the game's first lead, going up 6-3 inside the opening two minutes, but the Americans answered with a 9-1 burst that flipped the score to 14-7 and never looked back, eventually controlling the ball for more than 37 of the game's 40 minutes.
The separation came after halftime. Leading just 53-44 at the break, the U.S. blew the game open with a 27-12 third quarter capped by a 15-0 run that stretched a nine-point edge to 24, and the lead swelled as high as 27 points twice in the fourth as Colombia's resistance faded. Cole Swider (205-PF-1999, college: Syracuse) led the American charge with 18 points and 8 rebounds without a turnover in just over 23 minutes, punctuating the third-quarter run with a dunk that pushed the score to 77-56. Orlando Robinson (208-C-2000, college: Fresno St.) added 17 points and 9 rebounds off the bench, DeJon Jarreau (196-PG-1998, college: Houston) finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks for a team-best plus-17, and Jaron Blossomgame (199-F-1993, college: Clemson) chipped in 16 points and 7 rebounds of his own, giving the Americans four players in double figures.
Colombia briefly threatened to make a game of it early in the third quarter, ripping off a 9-0 run of their own to cut an early deficit before the U.S. defense clamped down again. Braian Angola-Rodas (198-G/F-1994, college: FSU) paced Colombia with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, and Jaime Echenique (211-C-1997, college: Wichita St.) added 16 points and 8 rebounds in limited minutes, but neither could keep pace once the Americans found their rhythm in the second half.