CARACAS (South American Championship) – Venezuela began its South American title defense with a dominating win over Ecuador, 97–34.

• Turning Point: From the get go the host established the rhythm of the game and after dominating the second quarter 29-7, the Venezuelans escaped to a 32-point lead.

• Stats don’t lie: Venezuela shot for a 44% from the field.

• Game Hero: Luis Bethelmy was Venezuela’s top scorer with 17 points.

• The Bottom Line: Che Garcia’s team started its South American title defense with an impressive and dominating performance in Group A action. Tomorrow, Venezuela will face Paraguay and Ecuador will match-up with debuting Brazil.

FIBA