Real Esteli solidify top Group A spot after victory over Titanes

PANAMA (Panama) – After getting beaten in their two previous meetings in BCL Americas group play, Real Esteli defeated Titanes 81-72 to get revenge and solidify their standing atop Group A.

Jezreel De Jesus had his second straight monster game as the guard dropped 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds at just 6-foot-1. De Jesus received help in the form of Renaldo Balkman – who put up 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds himself – and Alexander Franklin – who hit two 3’s to open up a first-half lead Real Esteli wouldn’t relinquish.

Real Esteli played with urgency and energy from the tip, but even when Titanes made a push with a few and-1’s, the Nicaraguan basketball club was able to always find an answer. They shot a highly efficient 50% from 3 and had 16 assists on 29 total made field goals. Most importantly, De Jesus was able to pick his spots on the floor and find his groove for the second straight game.

Once again, Real Esteli wasn’t able to get their complete ‘Big Three’ going -- Javier Mojica only shot 3-of-9 from the floor – but they only turned the ball over 10 times and most importantly, they defended at a high level.

After allowing 88 and 98 points in the first two games vs. Titanes, respectively, Real Esteli allowed just 72 on Sunday and limited their opponent to 38.7% shooting overall for the game. They keyed in on Titanes leading scorer Jonathan Rodriguez, throwing multiple bodies his way and utilizing their length and strength to throw him off guard.

While De Jesus starred and their defense shined, the biggest difference in the game may have come in the paint. Real Esteli completely dominated the glass and scored 22 (!) more points in the paint than Titanes.

Real Esteli wraps up group play with a 4-2 record and will have a lot of momentum heading into the bracket after finally defeating their rival. Titanes (2-3) will face a must-win scenario in their final game as they face Caballos.

FIBA