Thursday, october 26, 2023.- After a strong debut in Santiago 2023 on Wednesday night, where Chile secured a convincing victory over Puerto Rico with a score of 86-60, Barbara Cousiño stated that the Thursday showdown against Argentina was a classic match, and they were already focused on getting through it from that moment.
As a result, the game at the Polideportivo at Estadio Nacional was played with the intensity of a traditional clash, and for the first three quarters, the score was very close (the first half ended 40-40), with neither team able to establish a significant lead.
However, in the final quarter, the Argentinian team was more efficient in front of the basket, performed better in rebounding, and opted for longer transitions, for which Chile had no adequate answers.
Ultimately, Argentina prevailed with a score of 87-71, bouncing back from their 86-74 loss to Cuba in their opening game and leaving Group A with all four teams having one win and one loss. Everything will be decided in the final round.
Candela Gentinetta was the top scorer for the winning team with 23 points, while Paula Carrasco and Fernanda Ovalle led the scoring for the host team with 13 points each.
This Friday, the local team will close out the first phase against Cuba at 8:00 p.m, while earlier at 5:30 p.m, Argentina will face Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican team staged a remarkable comeback to keep their hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. After trailing 26-10 to Cuba at the end of the first quarter, they gradually built a hard-fought victory, winning 72-69, which they celebrated with justified enthusiasm.
In Group B, Brazil defeated Venezuela 94-47, and Colombia won against Mexico with a score of 66-54. The winning teams will face each other on Friday at 10:30 a.m. to determine the top spot in the group. Later, at 1:00 p.m., Venezuela and Mexico will seek their first victory in the tournament.
Written by Felipe Hurtado H; translated by Rocio Rojas / Santiago 2023 via Photosport
Photo by Alejandro Pagni / Santiago 2023 via Photosport
