Mexicans win a tight game against Puerto Rico

MEDELLIN (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - Mexican Shooting Guard Alex Pérez truly desired to play against Puerto Rico. He had his chance and didn't pass up on it.

Mexico and Puerto Rico played a strong and intense game in the opening game for the FIBA AmeriCup 2017, but in the end, the Aztecs took home the game on Friday. The final marker was 69-66, thanks to the 24 points —13 of them in the first half— and four triples by Pérez.

“I made my first shot and felt good since the very beginning. My mind was set on leaving the bench and playing aggressively,” Pérez said after the match.

Mexico's victory was their sixth in their last seven matches against Puerto Rico. At the continental level, the Mexicans have defeated the Puerto Ricans four times in a row.

The guard's excellent aim was essential for Mexico to take control of the game during the second quarter, which led them to win the first half, 39-31.

“I feel a weight on my shoulders when I know I’ll be playing against Puerto Rico. I've always wanted to play and prove myself,” Pérez underlined, while he explained that he didn't want to celebrate this victory too much.

“It was a great win, but it's only the first. We play against Brazil tomorrow, and we must remain focused,” Pérez added.

For his part, Coach Sergio Valdeolmillos, despite this important victory, regretted that his team did not give a better performance in the match against the Puerto Ricans.

“I'm not satisfied. We should've played better. We're lacking rhythm. We have to play up and down,” the Spanish coach explained. He now has less than 24 hours to prepare his protégés for a vital duel against Brazil.

“Brazil has a better rhythm, we know what we're up against tomorrow. Today there was some anxiety and Brazil plays different than Puerto Rico,” said Valdeolmillos, whose team were surpassed in rebounds (45-40) and assists (18-13).

On the Boricua side, there was satisfaction in the defeat, considering that Puerto Rico arrived at the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 without playing any previous friendly matches.

“We gave it our all, it was a tough defeat. I don’t believe in moral victories, but I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Puerto Rican coach Eddie Casiano affirmed. “We’ll keep on improving,” the Caribbean coach added. He acknowledged that they lacked friendlies, but he isn't intent on using that situation as an excuse.

“To be successful, one must play friendly matches,” Casiano assured, and he didn’t justify the game’s result due to arbitrary decisions against the Puerto Rican squad.

“The game was broadcast on TV, I won't give excuses for the referees. I hope that next time correct decisions are taken,” Casiano shortly said. His team lost control of the ball on 16 occasions, which resulted in 17 points for Mexico.

Center Jorge Bryan Díaz collaborated to the Puerto Rican side with an 11-10 double-double.

“It was a tight game. They played better than we did. It was our first game, but that’s no excuse. We’ll do a better job at the next game. We’ll shoot better,” Díaz said.

Now Puerto Rico will prepare for a life or death match on Saturday at 2:00 PM (host country hour) against the local Colombian team.

“I know some of the players. We have to work on the mistakes we made when we played against Mexico to avoid repeating them,” Casiano pointed out.

FIBA