FIBA Americas League - Miami force third game by dominating Santurce

MIAMI (FIBA Americas League) - The Miami Tropics are still in the hunt for a place in the first-ever FIBA Americas League Final Four after destroying Puerto Ricans Cangrejeros de Santurce 91-64 on Thursday to level their quarter-final series at 1-1.

In a game staged at Florida International, the university Puerto Rico national team playmaker Carlos Arroyo once played for, Cangrejeros met Miami blow for blow and led 45-44 midway through the third quarter.

That's when the wheels came off, though.

They were outscored 24-4 over the next 5:19 to trail 68-49 with 10 minutes remaining and Cangrejeros were able to get back into the game.

Marcus Barnes was in excellent form for the winners, scoring 23 points.

Jermaine Watson weighed in with 21 and Cornelius Mitchell poured in 18 while also handing out seven assists.

Miami dominated the boards, out-rebounding their opponents 56-39. Twenty of those rebounds came on the offensive glass.

The decisive third game of this last-eight tie will be played on Friday evening in Miami.

Brazil's Minas Tenis Clube, the Group C winners, resume their series against Group D's second-placed side Libertad Sunchales of Argentina on Friday. Minas won the first game of the tie on January 15, 74-72.

Peñarol and Soles de Mexicali have already reached the Final Four that will be staged on February 8-9.

FIBA