MEX – Halcones UV Xalapa hope to be third-time lucky

XALAPA (FIBA Americas League) – Halcones UV Xalapa are fully aware that winning the FIBA Americas League in front of their fans early next month would be a defining moment in their history.

To win a continental competition puts a club among the elite in the Americas.

Xalapa have come close before but have yet to win the title.

Angel Gonzalez, the coach of Halcones UV Xalapa, said: “The situation is very difficult because we made it to the finals in the last couple of years, but the reinforcements we got for this tournament gets the workload down for our players.

“This makes us very competitive and we can win the championship and make history."

Halcones will play fellow Mexicans Halcones Rojos de Veracruz while also squaring off against Argentina’s Regatas Corrientes and Capitanes de Arecibo of Puerto Rico.

"The group will be very competitive but we have the advantage that we know Veracruz because of the games we have played against them,” Gonzalez said.

“Also we know their reinforcements. We played against Regatas in the previous round and we didn't really play well against them.

“They still have the same roster which we looked in the previous games. We have to do a good job studying Capitanes since we didn't see a lot of their games."

The captain of Xalapa is Mexico international Victor Mariscal.

The 38-year-old forward said: "This is a tournament that we haven't won in two years and now we have to take advantage of the days to prepare and achieve that dream of winning a championship for the fans and the team that really needs it."

The FIBA Americas League Final Four is being staged March 4-6.

FIBA