MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Colombia picked up a win on Sunday at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 that could count for double. The Colombians erased a 16-point deficit against a direct Group C rival, overcoming a hostile crowd to pull off an 89-86 victory over Nicaragua at the Polideportivo Alexis Arguello. It was Colombia’s second win ever (1-1) in its three AmeriCup appearances, and its highest scoring output in the competition.
Hansel Atencia's 26 points, which gave Colombia the win, overshadowed Nicaraguan Norchad Omier's stunning performance, posting 30 points and 20 rebounds— the first 30-20 double-double recorded at an AmeriCup since 2003.
Turning point
Michael Jackson sank a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game (89-84) with 2.4 seconds left. Before that, Hansel Atencia had knocked down two shots from the stripe, and Braian Angola had given Colombia the lead with a field goal at the 26.8-second mark. A crucial moment in the hosts’ collapse came when Josmel Martínez, after a timeout, attempted a baseball pass to midcourt. Jackson intercepted it, and the local defense was then forced to foul Atencia to stop the clock.
TCL player of the game
Atencia was unstoppable from beyond the arc, hitting 8-of-14 three-pointers and finishing with 26 points plus four assists. His long-range shot tied the second-highest mark in a game since 2003, behind the 10 by Brazil’s Marcelinho Machado. The guard connected on at least one triple in each quarter and added eight points in the decisive stretch.
Braian Angola earned an honorable mention with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Like Atencia, he scored 8 points in the final minutes to fuel the comeback in a hostile environment. Romario Roque also contributed to the win with 17 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. For Nicaragua (0-2), Norchad Omier turned in a historic performance with 30 points and 20 rebounds. The big man also handed out 4 assists and shot 12-of-14 from the field. Kaleb Myers followed with 19 points, while Jared Ruiz posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 assists.
Stats don’t lie
The Central Americans committed 19 turnovers, which Colombia converted into 22 points at the other end. Six of those miscues came in the most critical stretch— the final 10 minutes of the game. Nicaragua held the edge in rebounds (44-32) and assists (25-17), but its lack of ball security down the stretch proved costly.
Bottom line
Colombia secured a key win in the Group C standings. Now, with a 1-1 record, they will face Argentina on Monday, who also sits at 1-1. Nicaragua, meanwhile, will look to notch its first victory and keep its qualification hopes alive against group leader Dominican Republic (2-0). With Colombia's victory, the Dominican Republic sealed its ticket to the quarter-finals.
They said
Atencia, the hero of Colombia’s victory, reflected on the game’s two different stages: “In the first half, they totally dominated the game. Then we showed unity as a team and believed little by little that we could turn it around,” he said. "We made adjustments on defense and rebounding. On offense, we had more composure… The key was that the open shots we took started to fall.”
FIBA