VALENCIA (Spain) - Bahamas' pursuit of a historic spot at the Olympics is now within touching distance after they advanced to the Final of the OQT 2024 Spain.
A dominant first quarter run set the tone in an 89-72 victory over Lebanon, as they once again needed to hold off a spirited fightback from their opponents.
The turning point
Lebanon came out strong in their opening few possessions and had a very early 6-5 lead, but the Bahamas were also quickly into their stride and a 16-4 spell broke the game open - and the gap was already up to 15 points after 10 minutes.
Game over? Not quite. Lebanon edged the second quarter, and then were back within seven when Youssef Khayat hit a corner three, and then moved even closer when Sergio El Darwich followed suit with 8:08 remaining.
But the Bahamas scored the next seven for some much-needed breathing room.
TCL Player of the Game
Deandre Ayton wasted no time in asserting his authority inside - 10 first quarter points with a series of driving dunks - and the big man would finish with 24 points and 15 rebounds to lead from the front.
They also had another double-double from Buddy Hield with 19 points and 10 assists, with that connection between the NBA duo continuing to be strong.
Don't forget about the teenager VJ Edgecombe, though, as the rising star impressed again with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.
Stats don't lie:
Bahamas started 9-of-10 from inside the arc, and finished with a remarkable 79 percent - but they struggled to maintain the same accuracy from beyond the arc as the game progressed - going 2-of-14 in the second half before a late flurry to seal the deal.
Meanwhile, Lebanon missed their first seven attempts from downtown, and outside of Sergio El Darwich's 4-of-9 effort in his 20 points, they were 4-of-19 combined.
Bottom line:
A similar story for the Bahamas: really good in patches, but not quite able to completely kill off the game earlier. That's also not to downplay the character of the Lebanese team who really raised their intensity level, particularly on the defensive end to give themselves a fighting chance.
But it's Bahamas moving onto the Final, there's no doubting the quality, and maybe they're saving their most complete performance on Sunday.
They said:
FIBA