Review: Ponce took advantage of playing at home and earned the qualification

PONCE (DIRECTV Liga de las Americas) – Leones de Ponce hosted the last preliminary group of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas, and earned a spot in the Semi-Final Phase of the continental competition after finishing in the second position of the group.

The Leones finished the first phase with a 2-1 record, that included victories over Academia La Montana (Colombia) and Cocodrilos de Caracas (Venezuela), and a loss against Bahia Basket (Argentina).

The Leones de Ponce started their participation in this DIRECTV Liga de las Americas with victory over Academia (Colombia) by scorer of 76-61. The debut was a show of great plays by the host, led by Hakim Warrick, who led the game with 26 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 13/14 for a 92.9% from the field.

In their second game, the Leones faced Cocodrilos de Caracas in an emotional match that once again left the Venezuelan team one possession away to get the victory. The host took advantage early, but the defense of Cocodrilos was decisive, especially Yoshuar Palacios (with 5 steals) that returned them to the game. Maurice Sutton Jr. was huge in the paint for the Venezuelans, but Arroyo and his 8 points in the last 10 minutes of the match sealed the victory for the Leones by score of 88-84.

In the last game of the Group Stage, there was a duel of unbeaten when Bahia faced the hosts Leones de Ponce in a dramatic encounter. It was a close match in which both teams exchanged advantages behind big individual performances. For Leones, the start was given by the hand of Carlos Arroyo, who scored 12 points in the first quarter. For Bahia, the trio of Lucio Redivo, Vaulet and Johnson and an efficient offensive execution kept them in the game. In the third quarter appeared the figure of Angel Daniel Vassalló with 13 points and then in the fourth quarter with the basket that sent the game overtime.

In the overtime, Anthony Johnson was dominant in the paint and Bahia got the victory by a score of 96-92. Johnson finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds in the victory, while, for the Leones de Ponce, Vassallo shined with 34 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams qualified for the Semi-Final Phase.

Ponce will once again host a stage of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas, when the Leones receive the visit of San Lorenzo (Argentina), Bahia Basket (Argentina) and Hebraica Macabi (Uruguay), for the second Semi-Final Group of the continental league.

With two Final4 tickets on the line, the top two teams from the Semi-Final Group in Ponce will join Fuerza Regia (Mexico) and Guaros de Lara (Venezuela) in the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas Final4.

The DIRECTV Liga de las Americas is broadcast through DIRECTV (Americas), Punto2 (Puerto Rico) and through the web at livebasketball.tv (subscription required).

For the best coverage of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas 2017, visit ligamericas.com and our social networks @ligamericas.

FIBA