SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) – Jamaica’s FIBA World Cup hopes of debuting in the Qualifiers started with a massive win as they defeated Puerto Rico 92-90 on Friday night at Coliseo Roberto Clemente. Puerto Rico entered the matchup riding a four-game Qualifiers winning streak and victories in nine of the last ten home games. Jamaica led by as many as 12, but Puerto Rico charged back in the fourth quarter before Kofi Cockburn’s clutch, last-second finish sealed the upset, capping a night where the hosts had no answer for him.
Turning point
Puerto Rico may have led by five at the half, thanks to 50 percent shooting from the three-point line as well as cleaning up on the boards, but Jamaica started the third quarter with a 16-0 run, using size and athleticism down low to be able to get a 12-point advantage.
That swung the momentum their way for most of the second half until Puerto Rico’s 9-0 run with just three minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
The Puerto Ricans tried to stifle Jamaica defensively as they recorded four of their five steals in the game in the fourth quarter alone, but they could not out-muscle the Jamaicans, who garnered 52 points in the paint.
Player of the game
Cockburn was a machine for Jamaica with 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting, and recorded a double-double with 15 rebounds, including 11 defensively. He had a team-high 33 efficiency rating.
Tyran De Lattibeaudiere also poured in 15 points for Jamaica, including seven from the free throw line, while Andrew Thelwell added 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in an all-around game.
Stats don’t lie
Jamaica dominated down low, not just in points in the paint, but also in second-chance points as the team put back 19 points off their own attempts compared to 13 for Puerto Rico.
Turnovers were also an area where Jamaica was able to use speed and size in order to get baskets, as they tipped in 15 points off of 12 turnovers, as well as tallying eight steals in order to force the ball back into their hands.
Bottom line
Jamaica is attempting to qualify for a major FIBA competition for just the second time after the AmeriCup in 2013. The team proved they can hang with anyone on the world basketball stage, and shot 59.57 percent from the floor and 48 percent overall while holding their opponent to just 39 percent.
While they will look to learn from Puerto Rico and stop points on the fast break as well as getting bodies to the glass for rebounds more prominently, picking up a road victory in an arena like Coliseo Roberto Clemente is huge for their FIBA World Cup Qualifiers resume.
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FIBA