ALLAN THE MAN

Puerto Rico defeated Jamaica, 88-82 , won his fourth consecutive match and secured first place in Group A of the FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela. 

The “ Boricua” team, who seemed to have the game under control , had to suffer more than necessary to finish. Jose Juan Barea was the best for the winners, with 24 points.

Puerto Rico began very lucid and had five minutes of showing high-flying basketball, moving the ball well on offense and hurting with conversions from Renaldo Balkman, who gave a dunk on the run, Richard Chaney, who curled an alley oop after with Carlos Arroyo’s assistance. 

All to escape 12-0, before a messy Jamaica, who suffered from the turnovers and that didn’t score in 4:35. And as if that were not enough, Puerto Rico also shelled from the perimeter with Barea and Ricky Sanchez (18-3). When Jamaica approached by nine (22-13) with some baskets by Akeem Scott, Barea closed the first quarter with a triple, 25-13.

Puerto Rico held the lead in the second quarter and stretched the gap to 15 (32-17), with the outside shooting of Larry Ayuso and a couple of conversions from John Holland. Jamaica tried to defend full court and at times managed to complicate the Puertorrican offense, and they approached by 10 (27-37), but not enough to bother too much. Puerto Rico went on to establish a gap of 18 (46-28) with the effectiveness from Holland from the free throw line and a triple by Ayuso, they closed the first half 48-33.

In the third quarter, the set went smoothly for the Boricua in attack and with the successes of Balkman and Barea got a 19 points advantage (52-33). But with the passing of the minutes, more relaxed they remained and Jamaica reacted, based on a good defensive attitude, as never seen so far in the tournament, the Jamaicans got into the game. With Samardo Samuels and Jerome Jordan in the paint, plus the contribution from the perimeter of Weyinmi Rose, they narrowed the gap to just four points (61-57). And then, on the conclusion of the segment, with a triple from the corner Garfield Blair and a break from Akeem Scott , Jamaica decreased the advantage to 1 point (63-62) . Jamaica won the quarter, 29-11.

Now at last, Jamaica took the lead after a basket by Samuels from medium distance (64-63). The parity and the exchange of baskets were the protagonists in the following minutes. Jamaica scored from the free throw line with Samuels and Puerto Rico in the paint with Balkman, to tie it at 70. From there, the Jamaicans put together a 7-2 run to escape 77-72, with Samuels again as a leader in the low post. But Puerto Rico gained ground with Balkman, Ayuso and Carlos Arroyo, who had been twisted to the hoop, scored his first field goal to restore the lead to his team (81-80). Sanchez, with two free, placed the “boricuas” ahead, 83-82. And from then on it was all the puertorricans, because the inexperience of the Jamaica sinned, attacked very badly and in the end, lost many balls.

For Puerto Rico, Jose Juan Barea had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, Renaldo Balkman 20 points and 9 rebounds, and Larry Ayuso had 17 points. For Jamaica, Samardo Samuels scored 24 points and had 6 rebounds.

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