2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men

CONTACT: Mary Ullmann Japhet 210-414-9030

Sunday, July 2

Basketball

URUGUAY/PUERTO RICO
5th/6th Place

Two more games:

bronze medal - Brazil/Canada - 3 p.m. start Central
gold medal - USA/Argentina - 5 p.m. start

FIBA AMERICAS U-18 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MEN

SAN ANTONIO - Puerto Rico took fifth place Sunday at the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship for Men with a 95-92 overtime victory over Uruguay.
Guard Carlos Figueroa gave Puerto Rico a one-point lead in overtime with 40 seconds remaining by hitting one of two free throws. Jose Lopez , a guard, also went 1-for-2, with 11 seconds left, giving Puerto Rico a 94-92 lead. Lopez then sank the first of two shots at the charity stripe and Puerto Rico led 95-92 with six seconds remaining. Lopez finished the game with 14 points. Uruguay's Jayson Granger, a guard, attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer, but the ball bounced off the rim.
Uruguay, down 44-29 at halftime, made a strong rally and outscored Puerto Rico 27-8 in third period, leading 56-52 at the conclusion of the quarter. The score was 76-67 in favor of Uruguay, with 3:02 left in the game, when Puerto Rico tied the score at 81-81 on a 14-5 scoring rally.
Puerto Rico guard Carlos Martinez led the game with 27 points, shoting 7 of 10 from the field and dropping in 4 of 5 three-pointers. Martinez also made 9 of 10 free throws. Granger made 23 points for Uruguay.
Uruguay, 1-3 at the tournament, shot 48 percent and picked up 35 rebounds. Puerto Rico, 2-2, went 51 percent from the field and grabbed 28 rebounds.

FIBA AMERICAS U-18 CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MEN
at St. Mary's University's Greehey Arena
San Antonio, Texas
Sunday's Fifth/Sixth Place Game
PUERTO RICO 95, URUGUAY 92 (OT)

Uruguay - Federico Alvarez 7-10 4-5 18, Cavalli 1-4 1-2 4, E. Gonzalez 0-1 2-2, 2, Juan Cambon 5-9 5-10 18, Federico Haller, 7-9 0-1 16, A. Gonzalez 1-7 2-2 4, Meira 0-1 0-0 0, Nathan 1-1 0-0 2, Yern 1-2 0-0 3, Correa 1-4 0-0 2, Jayson Granger 5-13 12-17 23. Totals - 29-61 26-39 92.

FG% - 48%
3-PT.FG% - 30%
FT% - 67%

Puerto Rico - A. Garcia 1-3 2-4 4, Figueroa 1-1 2-4 5, Andres Torres 3-7 3-4 10, Carlos Martinez 7-10 9-10 27, C. Lopez 2-3 1-2 5, Jose Lopez 2-4 10-15 14, Morales 3-8 0-3 6, Menendez 2-4 1-1 6, Roman 2-5 3-3 7, Andino 1-2 0-0 3, Clavell 2-4 4-4 8. Totals - 26-51 35-50 95.

FG% - 51%
3-PT.FG% - 44%
FT% - 70%

3-point goals - Uruguay 8-27 (Cambon 3-6, Haller 2-3, Yern 1-2, Cavalli 1-2, Granger 1-5, Meira 0-1, Correa 0-3, A. Gonzalez 0-5), Puerto Rico 8-18 (Martinez 4-5, Figueroa 1-1, Menendez 1-2, Andino 1-2, Torres 1-4, Morales 0-1, C. Lopez 0-1, A. Garcia 0-2).

F
Total fouls - Uruguay 36, Puerto Rico 31. Fouled out - Uruguay: Alvarez, Cambon, Haller, A. Gonzalez, Correa), Puerto Rico: A. Garcia, Torres. Technicals - none.

Rebounds - Uruguay 35 (Haller 11), Puerto Rico 28 (Martinez 7).
Assists - Uruguay 17 (Granger 9), Puerto Rico 15 (Torres 6).
Steals - Uruguay 9 (Correa 4), Puerto Rico 8 (Torres 4).
Blocked shots - Uruguay 3 (Correa 2), Puerto Rico 2 (J. Lopez, Clavell).
Turnovers - Uruguay 21, Puerto Rico 19.

Officials - Jeff Nichols (USA), Trevor Perry (Canada), Frederick Brown (Bahamas).

Tournament records - Puerto Rico 2-2, Uruguay 1-3.

Post-Game Quotes

GAME #1 (Puerto Rico 95, v. Uruguay, 92 in overtime)

5th place winner

NAME: Jorge Otero

Head Coach, Puerto Rico

QUOTE:

“My team practices free throwing in every practice, so in the clutch, the important part of the game, my point guard Jose Lopez was able to make every free throw he shot. Free throws were important for the victory tonight.

In the last game, my players went to the free throw line down by three. In that occasion they missed the shots, but tonight Jose Lopez and Carlos Martinez went to the free throw line, made the three points, and they forced the overtime. In the overtime my team played hard and won the game.

Every game my team comes back and in this game my team played defense very hard and luck was on my team’s side. Thanks to God and thanks to everyone here. Fifth place is good.”

NAME: Carlos Martinez #8

Player, Puerto Rico

QUOTE:

“It was a very important game. Before the game our coach told us to focus and prepare for the game.

I focused on making the shots, no one was around me, so I knew I was able to make two more shots. I wasn’t nervous.

I know my team is a very offensive team and I understand that every player on our team can score many points. It is a matter of finding a player who can hit his shots and today it was me.”

The plays are made for everyone, but in this game they plays were mostly for me because I was the odd guy in the game and because I always stayed on the ball side so I could get the ball and shoot.”