MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Braian Angola is trying to take Colombia to new heights, and the win on Sunday night against Nicaragua at Polideportivo Alexis Arguello made the team a step closer to that goal. The 6'4" forward hit a jumper with 32 seconds left in the fourth quarter to put his country ahead for good, improving the record to 1-1 with one game to go in Group C. The hard-fought victory came as Nicaragua led for 32:48 out of the 40 minutes, with Colombia holding on until the end before making its winning run. “I’m most proud about how we stuck together, and we fought through the whole game,” Angola said. The new CB Gran Canarias (Spain) player knows what’s at stake in this tournament. If Colombia were to advance to the quarter-finals, that top eight finish would be its best at a FIBA AmeriCup event. The South Americans finished 11th and 9th in 2017 and 2022, respectively.
“It means everything,” he said of reaching that goal. Everybody knows Colombia is not a basketball country, but we’ve been working really hard to change that stigma. Myself and a bunch of other guys worked really hard to change it, and I hope we can make it happen.” However, Angola is not alone. The dynamic duo of Hansel Atencia and Romario Roque combined for 43 out of their 89 points on Sunday. Angola filled out the stat sheet with 18 points on 5-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-7 from beyond the arc, plus 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block. After playing at the college level in the United States, Angola has built a strong pro resume with stops at the NBA G-League, Belgium, Serbia, Israel, Greece, and even Turkey. Spain will be his next stop. That wealth of experience is something he tries to pass on to his younger teammates. “Coach trusts me very much and my teammates trust me very much,” he said. “I just come here and try to have fun and try to show the young guys the way. I’m a little older— I’m 31, so I’m trying to bring my experience to this team.” The timing is right for Colombia. Big men Jaime Echenique and Andrés Ibargüen had excellent 2024-25 campaigns at the club level, and while they’re not competing this week in Nicaragua, they’re expected to be key contributors going forward. In the meantime, head coach Tomás Díaz has been trying to inject youth into the roster. A trio of 2001-born players (Miguel Caicedo, Octavio Muñoz, and Cristian Solis) is starting to gain experience at the senior level. 20-year-old Jerson Caicedo is also part of the Colombian squad.
Solis had five points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes of action against Nicaragua. “They give us a really huge boost,” said Angola. “Solis and all the other guys came in and did their job. They did what they needed to do, and I’m really proud of them!”
FIBA