NASSAU (Bahamas) - Both Bahamas and Puerto Rico felt the joy of qualifying for the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers after their game on Monday evening at Sir Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in Nassau, Bahamas. Despite Puerto Rico claiming the 115-92 win, both nations qualified as the margin of defeat was still enough for Bahamas to finish second in the group while Puerto Rico finished third. Jezreel De Jesus, a veteran for Puerto Rico who has appeared across multiple competitions over the years, led the team with 15 points at the half and continued to make his mark, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He also recorded 5 rebounds and 3 assists in the win. Alfonso Plummer also erupted for 16 second-half points, knocking down 5 three-pointers and shooting 83 percent from beyond the arc to ensure Puerto Rico’s safety for the second round. Puerto Rico shot over 62 percent from deep.
Both teams finished with 2-4 records, which is enough to keep their FIBA Basketball World Cup dreams alive. Bahamas knows they have work to do after the loss, but are looking forward to continuing the work they have with this roster. "We're a full team of fighters. We’re dogs, we want to come out and try to compete and win and play against the best people in the world," said Franco Miller. While the loss may sting in the short term, being able to see the opportunities basketball has brought to the Bahamas and how the sport is continuing to grow is motivation for continuing the fight in August. “Proud of our guys fighting til the end. We had a couple injuries but no excuses; we’ve got a lot of film to watch to get better,” said head coach Mikhail McLean. Bahamas veterans Miller and Domnick Bridgewater led the charge as they poured in 24 and 22 points respectively, while young phenom VJ Edgecombe Jr. added another 19, but the trio’s efforts could not overpower six different Puerto Rican players finishing in double digits.
With Canada already qualifying out of Group B as the reigning World Cup bronze medalists, they are yet to drop a game across these qualifying windows. Jamaica finished last in the group on head-to-head losses despite also finishing with a 2-4 record. FIBA