Dominican Republic Rallies and Advances in the FIBA AmeriCup U16
The Dominican Republic U16 national team achieved an impressive comeback to defeat Mexico 69-68 in the FIBA AmeriCup U16, securing their place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The Dominican team will face Venezuela this Friday in search of a place in the semifinals.
After being down by 18 points, the young Dominicans showed character and determination, culminating their effort with a crucial free throw by Jostin Hernandez with only 1.5 seconds remaining on the clock.
Hernandez, the team’s center, finished the match with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, playing a fundamental role in the game’s closing. Luis Valdez led the offense with 18 points, including 10 from the free throw line. Malvin Duran also had an outstanding defensive performance, contributing 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals.Mexico had the opportunity to secure the victory in the final seconds, but Luca Balducci missed two free throws with 9.3 seconds on the clock, which allowed the Dominican comeback.
Despite Mexico’s effort, which had Álvaro Romero as its figure with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks, the performance in the third quarter, where they only scored 9 points, facilitated the comeback of the Dominican Republic.
With this victory, the Dominican Republic concludes the group stage with a 2-1 record, while Mexico is eliminated without any wins (0-3).
Quarterfinals – FIBA AmeriCup U16 (Friday, June 6)
📍 UACJ University Gym, Ciudad Juárez- United States vs. Brazil – 12:30 p.m. (local time)
- Puerto Rico vs. Argentina – 3:00 p.m.
- Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela – 5:30 p.m.
- Canada vs. Mexico – 8:00 p.m.
