Santiago Performs for Puerto Rico
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Below is a game-by-game chronicle of Santiago's Olympic exploits.
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Santiago is fired up in Athens.
Stuart Hannigan/Getty Images |
Greece defeated Puerto Rico 85-75 in Saturday’s fifth place consolation game. With the loss, Puerto Rico finished in sixth place in Athens. Michalis Kakiouzis scored a game-high 20 points for Greece. Elias Ayuso led Puerto Rico with 14 points and Jose Ortiz finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Bucks center Daniel Santiago scored seven points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Santiago finished the 2004 Olympic Games with averages of 11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game in 11 games.
Thursday, Aug. 26
Bucks center Daniel Santiago scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds on Thursday, as the Puerto Rican National Team fell out of medal contention with a 83-70 quarterfinal loss to Italy in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Santiago, who had averaged 12.6 points and five rebounds in 25.4 minutes in the first five games, will now try and help Puerto Rico, 3-3 in Olympic play, finish The Games with a winning record by winning their final, consolation game.
Monday, Aug. 23
Puerto Rico shot 28 percent on their way to a 78-58 loss at the hands of Greece in their final preliminary game. The loss gives Greece (3-2) second place while dropping Puerto Rico to third place. Puerto Rico jumped out to an early 16-3 lead, but Greece came back behind seven straight points from Lazaros Papadopoulos, who finished with 13 points. Greece outscored Puerto Rico 20-6 in the second quarter to take a 40-28 lead into halftime and would never look back. Puerto Rico shot just 3-22 (13.6 percent) from three-point range. Bucks center Daniel Santiago finished with a hard fought eight points and six rebounds. Michail Kakiouzis led Greece with 16 points off the bench, including 4-5 from downtown. Elias Ayuso led Puerto Rico with 11 points, but shot 3-12 (25 percent) from the field, while Carlos Arroyo added 10 points, but was 3-13 (23.1 percent) from the field. Puerto Rico now 3-2, takes on Italy in the first of Thursday’s quarterfinal games. Santiago is averaging 12.6 points and a 5.0 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game in five games.
Saturday, Aug. 21
Bucks center Daniel Santiago scored a team-high 20 points as Puerto Rico defeated Australia 87-82 to qualify for the quarterfinals. Australia led 51-41 at halftime but Elias Ayuso hit a three-pointer to give Puerto Rico a 79-78 advantage with 3:21 remaining in the game and Puerto Rico took its final lead, 82-80, on a Carlos Arroyo lay-up with 2:21 to play. Arroyo finished with 17 points and seven assists while Matthew Nielsen led Australia with 20 points. Santiago, who also grabbed four rebounds, played a team-high tying 35 minutes and his 20 points were the most he has scored so far in the 2004 Olympic Games. Santiago is averaging 13.8 points per game and Arroyo is leading all scorers at the 2004 Olympic Games with 20.3 points per game. Puerto Rico takes on Greece, Monday at 2:15 (CT).
Thursday, Aug. 19
The Puerto Rican National team defeated Angola 83-80 behind a double-double from Bucks center Daniel Santiago. Santiago scored 16 points on 5-6 shooting from the field and 6-8 from the free-throw line, while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds, blocking two shots and dishing out two assists. Puerto Rico trailed 66-63 entering the fourth quarter, but rallied behind eight fourth quarter points from Eddie Casiano. Casiano, who scored 15 points off the bench for Puerto Rico, twice drilled three-pointers to give his team the lead in the fourth. Elias Ayuso led Puerto Rico with 17 points and Utah Jazz guard Carlos Arroyo scored 16 points and dished out six assists. Antonio De Carvalho scored a team-high 14 points for Angola (0-3). Puerto Rico is now 2-1 and will face Australia (1-2) in the first game played on Saturday.
Tuesday, Aug. 17
The Puerto Rican national team fell to 1-1 in preliminary play after losing to Lithuania 98-90 on Tuesday. Daniel Santiago scored 12 points and led his team with four steals. Over half of the team's points came from Carlos Arroyo and Elias Ayusom who led the team with 25 points each. But the Lithuanian national team (2-2) was just as efficient on offense as they shot 54 percent from the field and 53 percent from beyond the arc. Puerto Rico looked strong in the beginning, taking a 32-26 lead after the first quarter. But Lithuania came back with a strong second quarter to take a 49-44 lead into the break. The lead would stay at five heading into the final quarter, but Puerto Rico would get no closer the rest of the way. Puerto Rico will take Wednesday off before taking on Angola on Thursday. Three more preliminary games remain before the quarterfinals begin.
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Santiago slams Team USA.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images |
The Puerto Rican national team shocked the United States team 92-73 in their opening game of the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Bucks center Daniel Santiago, a starter for the Puerto Rican national team, scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in 25 minutes to help lead the Puerto Ricans to victory. Puerto Rico broke the game open in the second quarter, outscoring the United States 28-7, and headed into halftime with a 48-27 advantage. The United States would close the gap to 79-68 in the fourth quarter, but Puerto Rico sealed their victory with a 9-0 run. Puerto Rico will face Lithuania on Tuesday. Lithuania defeated Angola 78-73 in their opening round on Sunday.
Tuesday, Aug. 3
The Puerto Rican national team defeated Brazil 91-85 in the Pre Olympic tournament from Alicante, Spain in preparation for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Bucks center Daniel Santiago scored a game-high 20 points in the win. After trailing 31-24 after the first period, Puerto Rico outscored Brazil 48-26 in the second and third periods to lead by 15, 72-57, heading into the fourth. Puerto Rico will face Spain in the finals of this tournament.
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