MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – There’s no place like home, but in Mexico’s case, they seem to relish playing on the road. The team defeated Nicaragua 99-72 on Thursday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers to secure their second victory, both coming away from home.
To open the second window, Mexico also stretched their road winning streak to five straight victories in the Qualifiers. Before this surge, they had won just two of nine games under those circumstances.
So, why have the Mexicans been so effective on the road? Here are three key factors:
The three-point shooting
Mexico threatened to rewrite the record books from beyond the arc by knocking down 19 three-pointers. That total ties Canada for the fourth-highest single-game mark in competition history, just three shy of the record set by Mexico themselves against Colombia on February 23, 2023.
Pako Cruz and Joseph Ávila led the way with four makes each, while Gabriel Girón and Moisés Andriassi added three apiece. Seven more came off the bench. In total, Mexico shot 19-of-40 from long range, an impressive 47 percent.
In Santo Domingo, during their December win over the Dominican Republic, they made nine three-pointers.
Bench production
Mexico’s reserves contributed 35 points compared to 21 by their opponent to close the first window against the Dominican Republic. The team’s sixth man, Yahir Bonilla, scored 20 in that game.
In Managua, the bench output climbed to 47 points, again led by Bonilla with 13, followed by Moisés Andriassi with 11.
“All 12 players we have are quality. They give me a good problem because I have to rotate them, and it’s not easy. We have an explosive offense. I’m happy with how the team performed,” said Mexico head coach Omar Quintero.
Scoring more than 80 points
In each of their last five road wins, Mexico has scored more than 80 points. With over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they had already surpassed that mark and the outcome was essentially sealed. Before this streak, they had topped 80 points only once in their previous eight road games.
As many as six players finished in double figures on Thursday. Gabriel Girón and Pako Cruz scored 16 points each, followed by Yahir Bonilla (13), Joseph Ávila (12), Moisés Andriassi (11) and Víctor Álvarez (10).
FIBA