World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers: USA Fall to Dominican Republic to Open World Cup Qualifying Window 2

The February 2026 USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team fell to Dominican Republic 87-79 to open Window 2 of 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. Brandon Knight (190-G-1991, college: Kentucky) led the way with 20 points, most coming in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The United States had a tough start in the first quarter with eight turnovers. It took over three minutes for them to find their first bucket, a 3 from Knight. They trailed 21-10 after the first 10 minutes. “[Dominican Republic] played extremely hard, but I think a lot of that was due to self-infliction from just being a little tight starting the game,” Knight said. The Americans jump-started the offense in the second quarter as Dakota Mathias (193-G-1995, college: Purdue) had five points in the first two possessions. The U.S. trailed 39-33 at halftime. David Roddy (195-G/F-2001, college: Colorado St.), also making his USA Basketball debut, came out shooting the well in the third quarter making two 3s early on. “He’s a guy I wish I could keep coaching because he can do so many things; he’s so versatile,” Silas said. "He's been very good in our scrimmages and then tonight was good as well.” Offensive rebounds came often for Dominican Republic as they grew their advantage, leading 69-53 at the end of the quarter. The Dominicans finished with 16 boards on offense. In the fourth quarter, Elfrid Payton (191-G-1994, college: Louisiana) showed urgency on offense, pushing the pace and getting to the basket. He finished with nine points and six assists. “Toward the end of the game, we kind of started playing free and playing our game,” Silas said. While trailing midway through the last frame, Knight came alive with a step back 3 and a driving layup giving USA momentum. He stayed hot and put up 15 points in the fourth quarter, but Dominican Republic held on to seal the win. “It is disappointing because we did have a good camp, to come out here and lose this game is disappointing," Silas said. Jassel Perez (195-G/F-2001) posted 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace Dominican Republic. Andersson Mejia added 14 points for the winners.
Courtesy of: usab.com