LEÓN (Mexico) - Brazil (Men) and Canada (women) showed out in perfect pool displays on Day 3 of the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup on November 29.
TEAMS
BRAZIL (Men)
Perennial contenders Brazil came out swinging in pool play, finishing unbeaten to earn their place into the knockout rounds.
They took down Ecuador in their opening game, who had made waves in QD action due to their high-tempo, skilful offense led by Adriano Barreras. Brazil however, proved to be a step too high for Ecuador. Leonardo Branquinho and Leandro Da Silva combined for 13 points in Brazil’s 21 - 13 victory. They defeated Chile next in a hotly contested matchup, Branquinho again leading the way with 8 points in a 21 - 17 win.
Brazil are yet to win Gold at the 3x3 AmeriCup. With a dominant run in pool phase, they now have their sights set on achieving just that on Day 4.
CANADA (women)
One word to describe the reigning champ’s pool showing - Dominant.
It was business as usual for the Canadians despite fielding a new-look side with two players making their 3x3 AmeriCup debuts in Jade Belmore and Merissah Russell. Their opening battle against the Dominican Republic started off close, but it wasn’t long until Canada imposed themselves and ran their score tally up while grinding their opposition’s offense to a halt.
They emerged 22 - 10 victors off the back of a 9-point/7-rebound game from Katherine Plouffe. Their next win saw them take the aggression up a notch. Jade Belmore’s team-high 7 points led the way for a 21 - 3 victory, closing out the tie with just over 5 minutes left on the clock.
Expectations are sky-high when it comes to this Canadian side as they head into Day 4 with Gold in mind.
PLAYERS
ANTONIO RALAT (Puerto Rico)
Lotto was money for Puerto Rico in pool play.
His statement performance came in their opener against Jamaica. In a physical battle going right down to the wire, Ralat answered the call time and time again to keep scores ticking for his side. With scores 20 - 19 in favor of Jamaica, Ralat came in clutch with a dagger two-pointer, earning victory for Puerto Rico in his usual clutch way.
He finished with a mammoth 13-point performance, setting the tone early. He added in another team-high tally of 7 points in their clash against old-time rivals the Dominican Republic.
Ralat has been the offensive engine for Puerto Rico over recent years and they’ll need Lotto to keep delivering as they aim for Gold once again.
MARIANA RODRIGUEZ (Mexico)
The local Mexican crowd was jubilant as they saw their home side dominate on the day, finishing with a perfect 2-0 record. For Mexico, the leading force was Mariana Rodriguez who led the way for their success.
Their opening game was a back-and-forth thriller against Venezuela. The game ended up in OT where Mexico emerged victorious 15 - 13.. Rodriguez was at the heart of this crucial result, putting up 8 points and 5 rebounds, including the game-winning bucket.
Her paint presence proved to be just as key in their second win against a contending Puerto Rico side, providing much-needed defensive grit to stifle their opposition’s offense as they were held down to just 11 points in a 15 - 11 win.
Mexico got it rolling in pool play thanks to Rodriguez as they now look ahead at the knockout games tomorrow.
QUARTER-FINAL
MEN'S
United States v Argentina
Brazil v Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico v Chile
Canada v Mexico
WOMEN'S
Canada v Puerto Rico
Paraguay v Brazil
United States v Argentina
Mexico v Dominican Republic
DAY 4
It all comes down to this. Medals will be earned on Day 4 as we find out who’s the best in the Americas. Tune in LIVE to the action through the FIBA 3x3 YouTube channel.