MEDELLÍN (Colombia) – Astros de Jalisco (MEX) made a strong statement in its Basketball Champions League Americas debut, delivering a historic performance with a 123-70 victory over Caimanes del Llano in a Group A clash at the Iván de Bedout Coliseum in Medellín, Colombia. The Mexican team scored 123 points, the most ever in a single game in the history of the competition, surpassing the previous record of 120 set by SESI Franca against UdeC earlier this season.
Turning point
Astros showed no mercy, applying defensive pressure from the opening tip. It forced seven turnovers in the first quarter to jump to a 35-16 lead, then stretched the margin to 64-29 by halftime, putting the game out of reach.
Player of the game
Tyran De Lattibeaudiere and Christopher Perry led their team with 22 points apiece. De Lattibeaudiere connected on 11 of 12 shots and grabbed 6 rebounds, while Perry pulled down 7 boards.
Trey Burke (16), Adonys Henríquez (12 points, 6 assists), Daishon Smith (11) and Michael Carrera (10) also scored in double figures. For Caimanes, Shawn Foxbrennen Jr. and Octavio Muñoz finished with 12 points each. Alejo Britos added 11, while Jamahl Smith and Sebastián Valencia chipped in with 10 and 8 rebounds, respectively.
Stats don’t lie
The Jalisco-based club shot an outstanding 59 percent (45-of-76) from the field, including 36 two-point field goals, another new single-game record in BCL Americas. The previous mark (35) was held by Real Estelí (NCA), achieved twice during Season 1. Caimanes committed 18 turnovers, which led to 27 points off turnovers for the Astros, and allowed 66 points in the paint.
Bottom line
With Wednesday’s win, the Astros (1-0) moved level atop Group A alongside Paisas Basketball Club (1-0). The two teams will face off on Thursday with sole possession of first place on the line. Caimanes (0-2), meanwhile, sit at the bottom of the group after two heavy defeats. Still, the team will have a chance to bounce back at home in Villavicencio, Colombia, when they host the same two opponents starting February 1.
They said
De Lattibeaudiere shared his thoughts on the Astros’ debut, which made them the fifth Mexican club to compete in BCL Americas. “We did our job. We knew Caimanes was not a very strong team,” he said. "We wanted to come in, focus on what we needed to work on and make sure we secured this win.” Regarding his strong performance, he said that both he and his teammate Perry benefited from the system put in place by the coaching staff. “It’s the first time we’ve played a game together. We’re just starting to come together as a team. I’m good, I’m happy with what we’ve accomplished,” he concluded.
FIBA