MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Uruguay got its second win of the competition, securing its spot in the next round. The team finished the group stage on a high note as they defeated Bahamas 100-91 at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua, on Tuesday. Bruno Fitipaldo scored 33 points, the highest for an Uruguayan player in an AmeriCup in the last 18 years. The previous Uruguay player with 33+ points in an AmeriCup game was Nicolas Mazzarino in 2007.
Turning point
Bahamas led by six points going into the final quarter, but back-to-back three pointers from Fitipaldo put the teams even with 76 points each, before he hit a jumper a minute and a half later to give Uruguay the lead with five minutes to play. Domnick Bridgewater and Franco Miller kept Bahamas in the game, with Miller hitting a three himself to tie the game back up at 84 apiece with just over three and a half minutes to play. But seven points from the foul line from Fitipaldo in the final 2:57 helped put Uruguay ahead and claim victory.
TCL player of the game
Not only did Fitipaldo score the most points for a Uruguayan player in an AmeriCup in nearly 20 years with his 33-point performance, but he also dished out 13 assists, setting the new highest mark for assists by an Uruguayan player in a single game in AmeriCup history. He also made 8 three-point shots, tying the second-highest mark for three-pointers made in a single game. The record is 10 by Marcelinho Machado against Canada in 2005.
For Bahamas, the 29 points scored by Domnick Bridgewater tied the second-place mark for most points scored by a Bahamian player in an AmeriCup, tying teammate Franco Miller, who scored 29 points in this edition of the AmeriCup against the United States.
Stats don’t lie
Uruguay set a new team record as it dished out 30 assists in the game, with the previous high being 24 assists against Venezuela in 2015. The team also out-rebounded the Bahamas 39-25, winning the battles on both ends of the court. The 15 three-point shots made by the Uruguaians also tied a team high in that category in the history of AmeriCup, with the other instance happening against Venezuela 20 years ago in 2005. Uruguay shot 41.7 percent from three. In comparison, Bahamas shot just 28.2 percent.
*All statistics are from 2003
Bottom line
Uruguay used its precision shooting from deep to not only get back into the game in the fourth quarter, but to propel the team forward. They also used key shots from the foul line, shooting 89.5 percent, to create a gap to hold on for the win. Bahamas put up solid games against each of its opponents in Group A, with Bridgewater and Miller being standouts in the competition, but they could not hold onto a late lead even despite nine different lead changes throughout the match.
They said
“This team gave me the confidence to play and to play my game… the level we are playing now is totally different, and they are adjusting every day, facing big players. I’m trying to help them in every situation I can,” said Bruno Fitipaldo about his teammates. “I told them it’s very tough and very difficult to arrive at this point we are at now… Enjoy it, but we are going for more!”
FIBA