CALI (Colombia) - Colombia secured the final berth in the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers on Wednesday after defeating Venezuela 102-86 in the rescheduled Window 1 game of Group C at the Coliseo Evangelista Mora in Cali. The Colombians finished second in Group C with a 3-3 record, behind Brazil (6-0) and ahead of Chile (2-4), with all three teams advancing to the next stage on the road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup. It marks Colombia’s second consecutive qualification to the Second Round. In the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers, they finished sixth in Group F with a 3-9 record. In the decisive game against Venezuela (1-5), three-point shooting proved to be the difference for the winners. Colombia knocked down 15 three-pointers, led by Hansel Atencia with 5 and Braian Angola with 4. They finished with just a two-basket difference between their two-point field goals (17) and made three-pointers, underscoring the impact of their perimeter shooting.
After a tightly contested first half, the Cafeteros broke the game open with a 32-20 third quarter to take a commanding 89-60 lead into the final period. Atencia led all scorers with 22 points, while Angola followed with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Romario Roque completed the offensive trio with 20 points and 4 rebounds. For Venezuela, it marked the first time in their history that they failed to advance beyond the First Round, after having topped their respective groups in the 2019 and 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. The all-time head-to-head series between the two nations is now tied at 2-2.
FIBA