Havana-. The Cuban men's basketball team achieved a historic victory today over its American counterpart, 81-67, in the second leg of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) qualifiers for the 2025 America's Cup, which will be hosted by Managua, Nicaragua. .
Not since the Pan American Games in Cali in 1971 has a Cuban team been able to beat an American team, an event they won 73-69, in what until Sunday was the only victory for the island's representatives after 22 losses.
With a good crowd in attendance at the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum in the capital, the host team presented a great first half that they dominated with a score of 41-32, supported by excellent defense and quick offensive transitions.
The locals won the first half with a big score of 26-10, as the group play went almost perfectly, especially in light of the defensive intensity and the effectiveness of shooting on the edge. While the visitors outperformed 22-15 in the second quarter.
After the break, the hosts were again better on the field by 31-20 in the third quarter, so they reached a 20-point lead (72-52) in the final part, which made it very difficult for the team. The team beats their opponents.
To the delight of the enthusiastic fans gathered in the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum, success was achieved with the brilliance of Pedro Bombino, who scored 19 points, along with seven two-point baskets and five free throws.
Along with Bombino's outstanding performances, Marcos Chacon and Gasil Rivero were also good attacking contributors, both scoring 11 goals.
Rivero himself once again proved his leadership for the national team, grabbing nine rebounds and distributing three assists, in a match in which all Cuban players were able to score.
On the North American side, Rayquan Gray (17) and Jahmius Ramsey (14) led the attack, although this time they were barely able to achieve a hat-trick in 16 attempts, against a weak percentage of 6.25 percent.
In the case of the winners, among the things that can be highlighted is the excellent effectiveness from the free throw line, with a percentage of 88% (22/25) and only three fouls.
With today's result, Cuba achieved its first victory in that qualifying tournament, and avenged what happened on Thursday when it fell 79-100 to the Americans at the Silver Spur Arena, located in Condado, Osceola, Florida.
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