With a 19-point defeat of Argentina, the Dominican Republic was the first big surprise in the Fiba Americas Championship taking place in Caracas. The core of the game on Saturday 31 August was played by team captain Jack Michael Martinez (who plays in Venezuela), lead scorer James Feldeine who plays professional basketball in Spain, Francisco Garcia who plays with the NBA Houston Rockets, Jose Coronado (who plays in the Puerto Rico basketball league), and Eloy Vargas, a product of the NCAA champion University of Kentucky, and aspired to play with the New York Knicks. Al Horford, who is regarded as the Dominican Republic’s best basketball player, chose not to play with the team. He had played for the Dominican Republic on the previous two failed occasions.
The DR team dominated from the first quarter (28-16), playing the team’s game all throughout. Rebounds and three pointer balls and excellent defense made the difference for the Dominican team.
In the last quarter, the lead reached 25 points difference, when coach Orlando Antigua ordered in the bench to give them playing time. The game ended 91-72.
Coach Antigua: “It is just one game. We have not come to win one game.”
This is a long series, with the teams divided into two groups. Group A is Puerto Rico, Canada, Uruguay, Jamaica, Brazil. Group B is Argentina, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Paraguay.
The top four teams win the right to qualify for the FIBA World Championship in Spain next year.
www.caracas2013.com/en/noticiasread4.asp?r=F3069DA42A894234936E337CF5285533
http://fibaamericas.photoshelter.com/gallery/Caracas2013-ARR-vs-DOM/G00004hb_UPYOczY/
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9607637/2013-fiba-americas-preview-part-1
www.knicksjournal.com/2013/july/should-eloy-vargas-be-someone-to-keep-an-eye-on.html