Effort on the boards set the difference on day two of Americas qualifiers

BUENOS AIRES (Argentina) - Basketball coaches around the world preach effort every day in practice and during every game. Winning the battle on the boards has a lot to do with effort and is paramount to winning basketball games at any level.

That has been especially true for the first two days of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers.

Through eight contests in Groups A and B – only one time has the losing country out-rebounded their opponent (Panama gathered in more rebounds than Venezuela in Friday’s 77-56 loss). The numbers show the overwhelming importance of owning the backboards not just in rebounds alone but all important second chance points as well.

For example, take Brazil vs. Chile. Brazil out-rebounded their South American counterparts 84-57 (24-11 in offensive rebounds). That dominance led to easy baskets to the tune of 23-8 in second chance points in their two contests. Those numbers were as much to do with players off the bench who won that rebounding battle 49-12.

In Saturday's games, the winning countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela) won the rebounding column of the stat sheet to the tune of 170-119, offensive rebounds 44-26 and second chance buckets 37-21.

Easy baskets from offensive rebounds also helps raise field goal percentages from inside the three-point arc as seen by all four winning countries on Saturday shooting better than 52-percent from two-point land – Argentina and Brazil shooting an amazing 60-percent respectively.