MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – When Argentina needed them the most, their up-and-coming players came to the rescue. Down three men (Gonzalo Bressán, Francisco Cáffaro, and Juan Pablo Vaulet) after Sunday’s game against Dominican Republic, the young guys in Pablo Prigioni’s squad stepped up big time and salvaged a last-second victory against Colombia at Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua. Juan Fernández and Gonzalo Corbalán are two of the most prominent faces of Argentina’s next generation and are tasked with complementing (and this year, supplementing) big stars like Gabriel Deck and Facundo Campazzo. The duo was on fire in the dramatic win on Monday, combining for 56 of Argentina’s 84 points and 24 of their 32 field goals. “Was a show of character,” said head coach Prigioni. “We have young players and nine of them are making their AmeriCup debut, but we don’t set any ceiling or floor.” Forced into a bigger role as the lone remaining big man, Fernández uncorked a historic performance. He dropped 36 points on 15-for-20 from the field, including a strong 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. His 36 points were the most by any player at a FIBA AmeriCup in a decade, when Gustavo Ayón of Mexico scored 38 against Argentina in 2015.
“We knew we all had to take a step forward,” Fernández said. “We were missing important players and we all leaned on each other… I wanted to help the team with whatever I could.” Only Juan Espil (twice), Carlos Raffaeli, and Esteban Camisassa had scored 36 or more for Argentina at an AmeriCup tournament. The 22-year-old Fernández added 16 rebounds, setting a new record for his country at AmeriCup (since 2003). The previous high mark was owned by the legendary Luis Scola, who had grabbed 14 boards on three different occasions. In fact, the whole performance was reminiscent of Scola and his dominance wearing the light blue and white jersey. Fernández admired the comparison. “Just that my name is mentioned with his is a great source of pride for me,” he added. Fernández had a 44-efficiency rating after also contributing an assist, a steal, and 2 blocks in 37 minutes. That’s the second-highest mark of the tournament after Norchad Omier’s 48 against Colombia from Sunday’s game. Even then, Fernández is not satisfied. Asked about whether it was a dream game for him, he focused on what he needs to improve on going forward. “I shot 3-for-9 at the free throw line. That can’t happen. I’m obviously proud of the game, but I feel like I can do even better still.” Corbalán scored 20 for the second consecutive game and leads Argentina with 17.7 points at the conclusion of the group stage. The 23-year-old is also averaging 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals.
Juan Bocca, a 20-year-old forward, added five points off the bench. “I don’t compare this group with any other,” Prigioni stated in the post-game press conference. “I don’t judge anyone against players from the past. I’m convinced that they still have a lot of potential to unlock, and hopefully we can see it in this tournament.” FIBA