Puerto Rico beat Canada 79-74: FIBA Americas C’ Ship September 6 Review (Part 1)
Puerto Rico 79 – Canada 74
After clinching their first win in the second round of the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship, Puerto Rica managed to overcome Canada 79-74 on Tuesday. Puerto Rica stood firm against the late surge down the stretch by the Canadians and won their second game in the second-round.
Carlos Arroyo led the Puerto Rican squad from the front with a game-high 26 points along with three rebounds, four assists and one steal. In the 31 minutes, Arroyo spent on the floor, he shot 64 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent from the three-point range and 67 percent from the free throw line.
Power forward Alexander David Galindo chipped in with 13 points while Dallas Mavericks star Jose Juan Barea played a good supporting role by clutching five rebounds and dishing out six assists in addition to 11 points.
After some erratic initial minutes, both teams picked up pace. Neither team let the other stretch its lead, as the game remained pretty tight throughout the first quarter. However, Puerto Rica was managed a 22-21 lead on a Arroyo two-point shot in the closing seconds of the period.
The Puerto Ricans completely outperformed the Canadians in the second quarter with a 20-8 surge. The rally included contributions from Arroyo and Angel Alamo, who hit two three-pointers. Puerto Rica had taken a 42-29 advantage over Canada when the halftime buzzer sounded.
Canadians, which looked completely down and out in the second period, put up a better effort in the third quarter. However, it wasn’t enough to stop Puerto Rica from seizing another quarter in their favour and a 62-47 lead.
Canada was trailing by 15-point deficit at the start of the final quarter, when Kelly Tyler Corness Olynyk appeared on the scene and provided them the much needed help. Canadians made an 11-2 run that brought them within the range.
However, Arroyo hit five points that went unanswered and stretched Puerto Rica’s lead to 72-67. The Canadians hustled to make the end more thrilling, but it was Puerto Rica which came out as the winner in the end.
Andre Jay Rautins was the top scorer for Canada. He made 18 points during his 26 minutes stay on court and also clutched two rebounds. He shot 71 percent from the field and 100 percent from the free throw line. Besides Rautins, Carl Jerome English scored 13 points and grasped five rebounds for the Canadian side.
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