Dominican Republic won the ticket to play in the FIBA World Championship. Hadn't happened since 1978!
In a very tight and battled game (86-78), the Dominican Republic (ranked 27th) defeated Uruguay (ranked 29th) and finally won its ticket to play in the FIBA World Championship. The country had tried and failed to earn the right to play in the World Championship since 1978. The team that this year lacked the big names this time was able to grab one of four slots available at the Caracas, Venezuela FIBA Americas Championship by defeating top-seeded Argentina (3rd), Canada (26th) and Puerto Rico (19th). Puerto Rico had been undefeated in the tournament until playing the Dominican Republic.
When interviewed after the decisive game against Canada (81-74), team captain Jack Michael Martinez and Coach Orlando Antigua attributed the win to the team being synchronized and playing as a team.
The core players for the Dominican Republic were James Feldeine, Francisco Garc?a, Eloy Vargas, Eulis Baez and team captain Jack Michael Martinez. The Dominican Republic won the right to play in the championships after defeating Uruguay in its third game in the second round.
Orlando Antigua said that while after a first win against Argentina, the team has suffered important losses but was able to pull itself together for a victorious second half. He said the focus was on teamwork, moving the ball, ensuring that the distribution of the shots was good, defending together and trying to have a low number of lost balls.
Martinez said that the team had not had enough time to play together, having only played the Tuto Marchand Cup in Puerto Rico. “We didn’t have the team play together,” he explained. He admitted the team let down its guard after the important win against Argentina in the first round. “Watching the tournament we saw that we had the players to do it and proved this in the second round,” he said in a press conference after the decisive win against Canada. Previously, the Dominican Republic had only been able to win one game against Canada in its previous eight confrontations.
Martinez credited University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari for having changed the team from an individual style of the team to one of team play. Calipari coached the team as it competed internationally on two separate occasions. Martinez has said with U of K assistant coach Orlando Antigua now in charge, a disciple of Calipari, they have continued with this strategy.
The next game in the championship playoffs will be on Tuesday, 10 September.
Game against Puerto Rico (94-82).
VEN2013 - Dominican took the unbeaten record from Puerto Rico
Game against Canada (81-74).
VEN2013 – The Dominicans keep winning and dream of the World Cup
Game against Uruguay (86-78)
http://www.caracas2013.com/en/noticiasread4.asp?r=DB45EBE12208494EB53C7D43A83F566F