Smallest nation ever in World Cup, Cape Verde, earn historic first win

OKINAWA (Japan) - The smallest nation to ever take part in the FIBA Basketball World Cup proved that they belong as Cape Verde turned back Venezuela, 81-75, Monday night at the Okinawa Arena.

 

Betinho Gomes led the way with a game-high 22 points, including the pair of pressure-packed free throws with 18.0 seconds left to secure the historic breakthrough win - and help the Blue Sharks complete the comeback after being down by as much as 13 points late in the first half.

Those clutch shots of his also preserved the efforts of Will Tavares, who nailed the tough go-ahead lay-up to give themselves the 77-75 lead with exactly 57.0 seconds remaining in the game. The 28-year-old guard finished with 20 points on an 8-of-14 clip from the floor.

Turning point: Cape Verde were down by 10 points early in the fourth quarter but Tavares quickly buckled down to work to chop the deficit, slowly gravitating momentum to their side.

It didn't help the Venezuelans' cause that they lost Michael Carrera at the 8:31 mark due to an apparent lower-body injury, in which he had to be carried off the court and never returned.

That was an opening of which the Blue Sharks took advantage with Fidel Mendonca and main man Edy Tavares coming through to will themselves back and eventually snatch the W.

TCL Player of the Game: The towering Tavares was impactful in the victory as the he finished with 6 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks for an efficiency rating of 20.

 

Stats don't lie: After shooting just 29.6-percent in their loss to Georgia the last time out, Cape Verde shot the ball much better this time with 46-percent, highlighted by 11 triples. They kept their defensive efforts up as well with 9 steals - that, after having 11 against their European counterparts.

Bottomline: Cape Verde improved their chances for the Second Round as they're now 1-1 in Group F, definitely not a bad position for a team that's just in its maiden World Cup appearance.

Venezuela, on the other hand, are now unable to advance to the Second Round after Slovenia defeated Georgia later in the day.

They said: "This is a historical moment for us. It's a small nation with a big heart. It's a marvelous moment for our people. These amazing athletes, they represented the country in the best way possible. We played against Venezuela who had the chance to prepare for this World Cup with best teams all over the world. We entered the second quarter losing but at the end of the fourth quarter, we won." - Emanuel Trovoada, Head Coach, Cape Verde

"The third quarter was key. We started the third quarter relaxed. But it's not the worst thing. It's that we lost two players to injuries. At the end of the day, we couldn't get the job done. It's disappointing." - Fernando Duro, Head Coach, Venezuela

Press conference:

 

FIBA