CALI (Colombia) – The additions of Dominicans Victor Liz and Juan Rosario, along with American Eric Griffin, gave Paisas a new dynamic as they delivered a dominant performance, defeating Toros del Valle 99-87 on their home court at the Evangelista Mora Coliseum in Cali, Colombia, in a Group A matchup of the BCL Americas.
Turning point
Paisas controlled the game for most of the night, though Toros made a late push with an 8-0 run, fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Tonny Trocha and Benito Santiago Jr., cutting the deficit to 87-83 with 3:06 left to play. After a timeout, Paisas responded with a clutch three-pointer from Rosario. Moments later, Rosario capitalized on a defensive lapse, driving to the rim for an uncontested dunk, restoring a nine-point lead (92-83) with 2:15 remaining. From that point on, Toros lost momentum, and Paisas closed out the game to secure their first win of the season.
Player of the game
Liz showcased his experience and led the way for Paisas with 34 points, shooting 4-of-8 from three and 14-of-18 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 6 assists.
Glenn Cosey added 18 points, while Rosario (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Eloy Vargas (12 points, 14 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles. Griffin also contributed with 11 points. For Toros, Santiago Jr. was on fire with 24 points, hitting 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Debutant Tonny Trocha impressed with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Christian Pizarro (12), Soren De Luque (11), Michael Wright (10), and Josimar Ayarza (10) also reached double figures.
Stats don’t lie
Paisas dominated the boards (50-37) and made better shooting decisions (47% from the field, including 12-of-25 from three, compared to 40% for Toros). This helped them overcome 21 turnovers, which resulted in 30 points for their opponents.
Bottom line
With this victory, Paisas (1-2) remain in contention for a spot in the next round of Group A. With the final group games set to take place next week in Medellin, they are now in a strong position. On Saturday, they will look to build on this momentum against group leader Real Esteli (2-0). Toros (1-2) will return to action on Sunday against Esteli, aiming to defend their home court. FIBA