SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) - Cheered on by a crowd of more than 10,000 boricuas, Puerto Rico picked up an emphatic 99-56 win over Bahrain Wednesday night in their 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament debut.
A rocking Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan enjoyed the show as the host country put on a balanced performance that ensured that both Puerto Rico and Italy will advance to the Semi-Finals.
Turning point
Puerto Rico allowed just one bucket in the first quarter and never looked back, finishing the opening period up by 19-4.
The islanders' suffocating defense rattled their opponent, who missed 18 of their first 19 shots, setting the tone for the rest of the night on a game they led by as many as 46 points.
And when Bahrain cut that deficit down to 14 points midway through the third quarter, George Conditt IV responded with a tip-in and Davon Reed drained a three-pointer after Jose Alvarado stole the inbounds pass -- getting the crowd on their feet.
TCL Player of the Game
Conditt IV dominated the paint to the tune of 17 points and 8 rebounds. He went 7-for-8 from the field and finished with a game-high 22 efficiency.
Stephen Thompson Jr. (a team-high 20 points off the bench), Jordan Howard (13 points with 4 assists), Christopher Ortiz (11 points and 3 boards) and Aleem Ford (10 points) also scored in double digits for Nelson Colon's squad.
Forward Zee Hamoda led the way for Bahrain with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Ahmed Haji added 11 points after going 3-for-9 from beyond the arc, while Wayne Chism added 8 points and 7 boards.
Unexpected crowd favorite Ali Hasan (2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals) made the fans delirious with a pair of free throws and was showered with 'MVP' chants.
Stats don't lie
Puerto Rico limited Bahrain to just 32 percent from the field, including 7-for-32 from long distance after the Asians missed their first 14 three-point attempts.
The Caribbeans played an exciting run-and-gun style, getting out in transition and spraying the ball out to shooters who get them up in a hurry. They shot 36-for-72 from the floor (14-for-39 from beyond the arc).
Puerto Rico also had a 42-20 edge in points in the paint after winning second-chance points 15-5.
Bottom line
With the win, Puerto Rico not only secured their ticket to the Semi-Finals but also ensured that Italy also advances. These teams will play each other Thursday night to determine the winner of Group B and avoid first-place Lithuania in the next round.
Bahrain, making their OQT debut, will hope to build on the experience of going up against world-class opponents as they seek to take their program to new heights.
They said
"We tried to adjust a bit to minimize the mistakes that happened yesterday. We know there is a big difference in size and physical things, and these points we need to work on for the future. We had a tough start and we scored just four points. We're playing away against the host team in a full house, and it took us a bit of time. The second quarter was much better. In the third quarter we were very close to winning it. We put a target to play every 10 minutes, so quarter by quarter, to steal a quarter. We couldn’t do it in the fourth." - Jad El Hajj, Bahrain head coach
"I really thank the fans. I didn't know how to give them big thanks. This happened to me before like almost one year ago in Australia also, the fans, they were cheering for me. What both countries and these fans did for me, it's like a dream coming true, especially being from a small country like Bahrain." - Ali Hasan, Bahrain center
"We are a little bit anxious during the first part of the game for the first 3 minutes. But then we took the wheel, we played good defense and started to move the ball and we found a way to make a good plays, good baskets. I’m happy because tonight our 12 players played very well. Everybody had the chance to go in and do something. The people off the bench had a solid game with great execution, great defense and that is part of our commitment here in this tournament." - Nelson Colon, Puerto Rico head coach
"I feel like it's always good when you get a W, especially when you're at home and it feels special to be back here after the last few tournaments. We've been on the road a lot, a lot of traveling. It's been good to be here, play in front of the fans and have pretty much the same group that we had in the World Cup as well. I thought we executed well. I thought we played well together, we stayed focused and kept our eyes on the main goal." - Jordan Howard, Puerto Rico guard.
FIBA