Brazil and Uruguay win in Group B to advance to the Second Round

MIAMI (United States) – The second window of the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers came to an end this Monday, with the remaining matches of Group B. Brazil and Uruguay picked up victories and secured their place in the Second round.

This was what happened on the final day:

Brazil 119 – 73 Colombia

Brazil proved once again they’re head and shoulders above the competition in Group B of FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers, destroying Colombia 119-73 Monday night at Ginasio Pedrocão in Franca.

Nine different players combined for 21 three-pointers as Gustavo Conti’s squad put the finishing touches on their triple-digit masterpiece. Guard Vitor Benite led the way with 21 (5/10 from beyond the arc) and six assists, while Bruno Caboclo (20 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks) and Lucas Mariano (15 points and seven boards) were instrumental in getting the home team to 42 paint points. Brazil moved the ball beautifully, notching 35 assists on 43 made baskets, and shot a scorching-hot 56.4 percent from the field, including a sizzling 47.7 percent from long distance.

Colombia just managed to hang on through the first quarter, trading leads with the home team behind the complete skillset of Tonny Trocha. The power forward scored nine of his 21 points in the opening stanza and finished the night shooting 9/18 from the field. Michaell Jackson (12), Pablo Rojas Gardner (10) and Romario Roque (10) also scored in double digits, but Colombia shot 39.2% from the field and missed more than half of their free throw attempts.

Brazil played aggressive until the final buzzer, uncorking a 35-point fourth quarter. Their bench outscored Colombia’s 53-13 thanks to Caboclo’s heroics, Guilherme’s 12 and Rafael Hettsheimier’s 11. Brazil (4-0), having already qualified to the Second Round, remains atop Group B while Colombia (0-4) remains winless and in last place.

 

Chile 67 – 78 Uruguay

A steady Uruguay team punched their ticket to the Second Round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup America Qualifiers after an impressive victory over Chile on the road, 78-67, Monday night at Coliseo Antonio Azurmendi in Valdivia.

Rubén Magnano’s squad jumped to an early lead in the first quarter and administered it throughout the contest thanks to key contributions from several of its veteran stars and 18-year-old wunderkind Agustín Ubal, who led the charrúas with 15 points off the bench. The FC Barcelona point guard made up for a lackluster outing from Lucas Parodi (3 points in 18 minutes) by scoring seven in the final quarter to put away a feisty Chilean outfit.

Cristian Santander’s never stopped fighting and kept the deficit to a single digit for most of the second half. Franco Morales led the way with a stellar 26-point performance. The Chilean guard shot 5/11 from beyond the arc and added eight rebounds and three assists, ending up as the only player from his country to score in double digits. Sebastián Herrera and Marcelo Pérez had nine points apiece for the home team (1-3), who remains in third place in Group B play.

Uruguay was just a little sharper, outrebounding Chile 45-29 and scoring 44 points in the paint. They were deeper as well, as demonstrated by their 53-23 edge on points from their bench. Kiril Wachsmann finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Joaquín Rodríguez and Gonzalo Iglesias each had 11. Former NBA big man Esteban Batista led his country with eight rebounds and was a +10 in 16 minutes, shooting 4/6 from the field.

 

FIBA