MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Moments earlier, Jamaica had delivered the first major upset of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers by defeating Puerto Rico, but the other newcomer to the competition, Nicaragua, stood no chance against a powerful United States team. The U.S. handed them a 102–67 road loss at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex in Managua.
The Americans became the first team in the Americas to surpass the 100-point mark in these early Qualifiers, led by an explosive MarJon Beauchamp who played in the NBA last season. The team reaffirmed itself as one of the strongest contenders.
Turning point
Beauchamp, the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, made his national team debut and set the tone with a scorching start, scoring 15 of his team’s first 22 points. In the opening quarter, the United States built a 31–20 lead and was never threatened the rest of the night.
By halftime, the gap created by head coach Stephen Silas’ squad had grown to 21 points (59–38), thanks to excellent team play and highly efficient ball movement.
Player of the game
After his blazing start, Beauchamp was managed carefully by his coach, yet still finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-6 from long range in just 24 minutes. He also added 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block.
Veterans Brandon Knight (14 points and 5 assists) and Kyle Guy (11 points) were the other double-digit scorers in an offense where every player contributed.
For Nicaragua, Norchad Omier, who entered averaging a double-double of 22.3 points and 18.3 rebounds, kept up his dominant pace with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Jared Ruiz followed with 15 points and 7 assists, while another debutant, Eden Ewing, chipped in 11 points and 8 boards.
Stats don’t lie
The United States dished out 25 assists and committed just eight turnovers. Their opponents, on the other hand, gave the ball away 21 times and paid the price, conceding 24 points off those mistakes and allowing another 22 in transition.
Bottom line
The United States reached 11 wins in 13 games in the First Round of the Qualifiers. In 12 of those 13 contests, the team has scored more than 83 points.
In the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, the Stars and Stripes averaged 21.0 assists and ranked second in that category. They improved on that mark in their opening game.
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