OPQT's: Ayton, Hield, Gordon power Bahamas to win; Chile, Uruguay also victorious

LA BANDA (Argentina) – Chile, Uruguay, and Bahamas had successful starts to the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Argentina, notching important victories that set them on the right path toward the Semi-Finals. 

The action kicked off on Monday at Estadio Vicente Rosales in La Banda, Santiago del Estero (Argentina) as 7 countries vie for a spot in next summer's FIBA ​​Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Group B action will continue Tuesday, while Argentina, the host nation, will make its long-awaited debut Wednesday night in a marquee duel against Bahamas. 

Chile survives late push from USVI to notch first win

Chile notched a massive win in the opening game of the tournament, defeating U.S. Virgin Islands, 62-61, to momentarily climb to the top of Group B.

In this matchup, the South Americans jumped to a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter and seemed in control of the action.

Sebastián Herrera scored all 9 of his points before intermission and formed a lethal duo with center Nicolás Carvacho, who led his country with 23 points and 8 rebounds.

However, the Caribbeans stormed back in the second half, tying the game at the end of the third period and taking a small lead early in the fourth.

That was followed by a back-and-forth flurry down the stretch, where Jahsean Corbett made a three-pointer to put USVI up 61-59 with 1:26 to go before Alejandro Vergara responded with a dagger of his own.

The 28-year-old Vergara connected with 1:06 left on the clock in what was his first and only bucket of the day - good enough to become the hero for Juan Manuel Córdoba's squad. 

Corbett led the way for Virgin Islands with 22 points on 9/13 from the field, while Guy Ragland and Laron Smith added 10 apiece.

But on a game where both teams shot roughly the same percentages (and were about even in points in the paint, rebounds and turnovers), former Colorado State big man Carvacho's intensity on the offensive glass guided Chile to the 13-4 edge in second-chance points that tipped the scales. 

Uruguay beats Colombia in key matchup 

In a clash of styles that could easily determine who ends up winning Group B, Uruguay toppled Colombia, 80-65 on Monday night.

Gerardo Jauri's squad played a near-perfect second half, turning a 2-point deficit at intermission into a 15-point victory at the final buzzer. 

They did it through a complete performance on both ends of the floor, holding Colombia to just 38.1 percent from the field, outrebounding them 47-34 and outshooting them, as they drained 13 three-pointers to Colombia's 7.

Forward Emiliano Serres kept them in the game, scoring all 16 of his points in the first half before the perimeter cavalry arrived to take control of the action. 

Point guard Joaquín Rodríguez led the way with 19 points, including 14 in the second half, despite a poor shooting night (7-20 from the field). Nicola Pomoli complemented him perfectly, dishing 11 assists to go with his 9 points and 6 rebounds.

Martín Rojas added a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double with 3 steals on a night where Uruguay had 15 of them and scored 23 points off Colombian turnovers. 

Colombia seemed more poised at the start of the game, opening a 10-point lead in the first quarter behind Michaell Jackson's brilliance. 

The 36-year-old small forward had a game-high 28 points, including 11 in the 4th quarter, but Colombia only managed 26 points after halftime. His 6 steals were also a game-high.

Star center Jaime Echenique did the best he could patrolling the paint with 8 blocks to go with his 16 points and 8 rebounds. Guard Romario Roque added 10 point, but Guillermo Moreno's squad suffered their lack of depth, and their reserves were outscored 30-2. 

Star-studded trio powers Bahamas past Cuba

Bahamas put on a show at the close of Monday's action, routing Cuba 109-68 to all but guarantee their spot in the semifinals.

The trio composed of Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton and Eric Gordon led the way, getting into gear with a 14-0 run to start the second quarter and never looking back. 

The talent difference in favor of Chris Demarco's squad was just too wide, as Bahamas shot 56.9 from the field (notching 25 assists on 41 made baskets), took care of the ball (just 9 turnovers) and comfortably won the battle of the boards (39-31). 

Hield led their balanced attack with 24 points on 10-20 from the field (4-7 from downtown), 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Ayton added 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Gordon, in his Bahamas debut, had 17 points and 4 dimes. All 3 exited the game midway through the 4th quarter with the team up by 33 points. 

Cuba only managed to make things interesting during the first quarter, where they held tight for a 20-16 deficit. It was all uphill after that, despite finishing with 34 points in the paint and a respectable 40.3 from the field. 

Shooting guard Karel Guzmán (16 points) and center Pedro Bombino (14 and 5 rebounds) were Cuban's only players scoring in double digits.

Reserves Franco Miller (9 of his 18 points in the 4^th quarter) and Kentwan Smith (10 points) led Bahamas' bench unit that outscored Cuba's 39-24.

Highlight of the Day

The chemistry of Bahamas' stars was instantaneous and explosive.

In their first official game together, Gordon and Ayton played beautifully off each other as shown by this great penetration, dish and dunk.

These guys are set to be teammates during the 2023-24 NBA season after Gordon signed with the Phoenix Suns this past summer.

In the meantime, they’re looking unstoppable and ready to take Bahamas all the way to next summer's FIBA ​​Olympic Qualifying Tournaments and, who knows, maybe even Paris 2024.

FIBA