FIBA Americas Championship Roundup | Sept. 8, 2013
CARACAS, Venezuela -- One night after suffering its first loss of the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship tournament, Puerto Rico bounced back and picked up an 86-85 overtime win over Venezuela on Saturday night thanks to a big night from J.J. Barea. The victory ensured Puerto Rico became the first team to qualify for the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Puerto Rico came back from 22 down against host Venezuela thanks in part to 30 points from Barea. He hit seven 3-pointers on the night and shot 10-of-18 from the field. He also added six assists on the night, and in overtime he nailed a crucial 3-pointer that put Puerto Rico up three at 84-81. Renaldo Balkman added 26 points, while Ricardo Sanchez had 10 and Carlos Arroyo had nine.
Donta Smith had 26 points for Venezuela, while Luis Bethelmy had 14 and Axiers Sucre had 11.
Puerto Rico dropped its first game of the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship on Friday, falling 99-84 to the Dominican Republic in Caracas, Venezuela. In Friday’s loss, Barea finished the game with 12 points and shot 5-of-15 from the field during the contest. He also added three assists and two steals on the night. Carlos Arroyo led the team with 22 points, and he added six rebounds. John Holland scored 16 points of his own on 6-of-12 shooting, and Renaldo Balkman added 12 points.
For the Dominican Republic, Yack Martinez scored 21 points to lead the way. He shot 7-of-11 from the field and added 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Francisco Garcia scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers, while James Feldeine and Eulis Baez each had 17 points.
Puerto Rico, now 6-1 in the tournament, will face Mexico at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN3.com and ESPN Deportes.