Ciudad Juárez, Mexico – The Dominican Republic U16 national team began its participation in the FIBA Americas U16 Tournament with a resounding victory, surpassing Argentina with a score of 91-76. The match, held in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, showed the Dominican team’s ability to react, overcoming a significant disadvantage to secure the win. After a complicated first half, where Argentina managed to have a lead of up to 17 points, the team led by Jonathan Sarnelly showed its strength in the second half. With a dominant partial score of 48-27, the Dominican Republic sealed a crucial victory in Group A, where Mexico and the United States also compete.
Malvin Duran leads the Dominican offense
The key player in the Dominican offense was Malvin Durán, who had an outstanding performance. Durán scored 27 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out four assists, including an impressive 5 of 7 from three-point range.- Luis Valdez: achieved a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
- Brayner Pagán: contributed 15 points and 9 rebounds.
- Jostin Hernández: added 13 units.
- Leomar Jiménez: scored 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
Domain in statistics
The Dominican Republic displayed clear statistical dominance during the match. The team dominated the battle on the boards, capturing 50 rebounds against Argentina’s 40. Furthermore, they forced 17 turnovers, capitalizing with 22 points derived from them. They also led in second-chance points with a difference of 26-15.
Argentine Performance
On the part of Argentina, Tomás Sandes was the most outstanding player, scoring 22 points. Lautaro Basualdo contributed 10 units, while Ian Torres, Facundo Mathieu, and Juan Dollberg added eight points each.
Next challenge
The next commitment for the Dominican squad will be this Tuesday, June 3rd, facing the United States starting at 7:30 PM (local time). This match will be key for the team’s aspirations in the continental tournament.
