20 January, 2017
18 March
17 Facundo Corvalan (ARG), 6 Jamaal Levy (ARG), 12 Lucio Guillermo Redivo (ARG)
03/03/2017
Review
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Review: Bahía Basket bet and won with their youth

PONCE (DIRECTV Liga de las Américas) – Bahía Basket won a space in the Semi-Final Phase of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas after winning its preliminary group with a record of 3 wins and 0 losses.

The second place of the Liga Sudamericana found wins against Cocodrilos de Caracas (Venezuela), Academia la Montaña (Colombia) and the host Leones de Ponce (Puerto Rico).

The group started with a great and intense match between Weber Bahía Basket and Cocodrilos de Caracas. The Argentine club opened with a first half of 27-19 and maintained their advantage before a Cocodrilos that showed great defensive passages in the second and third quarter. Bahia got rid of an overtime after the Venezuelans could not capitalize on the final possession. Juan Pablo Vaulet (18 points and 8 rebounds) and Anthony Johnson (14 points and 8 rebounds) led Weber Bahía in the 77-75 win.

The Argentineans dominated Academia la Montaña to a 94-67 victory in their second match of the group. The contributions of the substitutes was key in the victory with 46 points against only 19 of the Colombian club. Once again, Johnson was decisive with 22 points and 5 rebounds in the win.

In the last game of the Group Stage, there was a duel of unbeaten when Bahia faced the hosts Leones de Ponce in a dramatic encounter. It was a close match in which both teams exchanged advantages behind big individual performances. For Leones, the start was given by the hand of Carlos Arroyo, who scored 12 points in the first quarter. For Bahia, the trio of Lucio Redivo, Vaulet and Johnson and an efficient offensive execution kept them in the game. In the third quarter appeared the figure of Angel Daniel Vassalló with 13 points and then in the fourth quarter with the basket that sent the game overtime.

In the overtime, Anthony Johnson was dominant in the paint and Bahia got the victory by a score of 96-92. Johnson finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds in the victory, while, for the Leones de Ponce, Vassallo shined with 34 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams qualified for the Semi-Final Phase.

Bahía Basket will return to Ponce, Puerto Rico to be part of the second Semi-Final Group of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas, along with San Lorenzo (Argentina), Hebraica Macabi (Uruguay) and the host Leones de Ponce (Puerto Rico).

With two Final4 tickets on the line, the top two teams from the Semi-Final Group in Ponce will join Fuerza Regia (Mexico) and Guaros de Lara (Venezuela) in the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas Final4.

The DIRECTV Liga de las Americas is broadcast through DIRECTV (Americas), Punto2 (Puerto Rico) and through the web at livebasketball.tv (subscription required).

For the best coverage of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas 2017, visit ligamericas.com and our social networks @ligamericas.

FIBA