POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Eric Ayala
Group A
Puerto Rico - Brazil 82-75
Puerto Rico opened win count at the FIBA Americas Championship. They beat Brazil for 1-1 record in Group A. Eric Ayala (193-F/G-99) came up with 24 points and 8 rebounds to pace the winners. Puerto Rico eked out a 17:16 lead after ten minutes. Brazil however responded with a 20:13 run to take a 36:30 halftime advantage. Puerto Rico came off the dressing room firing from all guns. They sparked a 26:9 rally to surge ahead. Brazil dropped 30 points in the final period but could not avoid the defeat. Javier Quinonez (187-G-0) tossed in 12 points, while John Carrillo (187-G-99) and Elmer Natal (195-F/G-0) added 10 points each for Puerto Rico. Kayo Mafio (198-PF-99) responded with 27 points and 10 rebounds for Brazil. Guilherme Braga (195-SF-99) contributed 17 points in the loss.
Dominican Republic - USA 51-115
Team USA cruised to the second victory in Bahia Blanca. The defending champions outgunned Dominican Republic to stay perfect in Group A. Gary Trent (191-G/F) stepped up with 25 points to pace the winners. Team USA unloaded 68 points in the first half to gain a 46-point halftime lead. They kept Dominican Republic at bay throughout the second half coasting to the victory. Markus Howard (185-G-99) delivered 20 points for the winners. Anderson Mirambeaux (196-F-99) responded with 13 points and 9 rebounds for Dominican Republic. Alanzo Frink (200-F-0) had 11 points in the loss.
Group B
Venezuela - Argentina 51-71
Argentina dominated Venezuela on the second day of action in Group B. The hosts went on a strong rally in the second half to secure the second consecutive victory at the tournament. Lautaro Lopez (188-G-99) accounted for 19 points for Argentina. The hosts jumped to a 15:4 lead ten minutes into the encounter. But Venezuela narrowed the distance at 3-point mark at the interval 22:25. Argentina responded with a 23:12 rally in the third term to regain a comfortable advantage. They added 23 points in the fourth quarter to ice the win. Franco Zandomeni (188-G-0) chipped in 17 points for the hosts. Carlos Lenuz (187-G-99) answered with 11 points for Venezuela. Carlos Paez (179-PG-0) finished with 10 points in the loss.
Canada - Mexico 101-64
Canada breezed past Mexico to improve at 2-0 record in Group B. Rowan Barrett Jr. (195-G/F-99) came up with 22 points to lead the North American selection. Canada set the tone early in the game. They used a 20:7 run in the opening quarter to clear off. Canada dropped 24 points in the second stanza to take a 44:30 halftime advantage. The third term turned into a one-way traffic. Canada went on a 29:10 spurt to clear off for good. Noah Kirkwood (195-G/F-0) delivered 15 points, while Danilo Djuricic (200-F-99) added 14 points and 15 boards for the winners. Salvador Martinez (193-SF-99) responded with 27 points for Mexico. Javier Gonzalez (194-C-0) had 12 points in the loss.
