SANTIAGO (Chile) – Colombia’s bench (2-2) answered the call and gave the team the spark it needed to secure a 59-33 victory over Chile (0-3). The win clinched a place for the Colombians in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, as they locked in at least fourth place in Group B after completing all their games in the Group Phase. The reserves stepped up on their fourth straight day of action. The López duo, Carolina and Valentina, led the charge with 9 and 8 points, respectively, while Marlyn Vente also chipped in with eight. In total, the bench contributed 32 points.
Turning point
The second quarter broke the game open, as Colombia held Chile to just seven points in that stretch— a total the hosts would match again in each of the following two quarters. By halftime, the score already showed a 12-point lead (31-19), which grew to 17 (43-26) heading into the final period.
Player of the game
Carolina López narrowly edged out her teammate Valentina López for the honor. The point guard kept the offense flowing in the absence of the usual leader, Manuela Ríos, who only played nine minutes and didn’t score. Carolina finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 25 minutes.
Valentina, the small forward, scored just one point less but matched Carolina in rebounds and assists while adding two steals. She stood out in the post on a tough shooting night for starter Yuliany Paz (3-of-17 from the field). Jenifer Munoz added 12 points and Marlyn Vente also impressed with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. For Chile, Catalina Pérez led the team with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Stats don’t lie
The hosts had a rough night from beyond the arc, converting only two three-pointers (one in each half) on 21 attempts, just nine percent shooting. They also struggled on two-point field goals, making only 12 of 40 (30 percent). The 92 total combined points (59-33) tied the lowest-scoring game in AmeriCup history (since 2003), matching the 2017 Semi-Final between Argentina and Puerto Rico (ARG 48-44 PUR). Chile’s 33 points matched its lowest scoring output ever at the Women’s AmeriCup and ranks as the fourth-lowest total by any team in the history of the competition.
Bottom line
This was the first meeting between the two teams since 2011, when Colombia also won, 69-50. After playing on four consecutive days, Colombia will rest on Wednesday and await its Quarter-Final opponent. Meanwhile, Chile will look for its first win of the tournament when it faces Puerto Rico, though it has already been eliminated from contention.
They said
Colombia’s head coach, Luis Cuenca, praised the performance of his team. “Our bench scored over 30 points, and that helped us preserve our main players. We also played great team defense. The players stayed focused the whole time— we only allowed two three-pointers. Whoever we face next will be a tough matchup, but we’re ready,” said Cuenca.
FIBA