Dominican Republic formalized its entry into the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 by prevailing 75-67 over Angola on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Dominicans topped Group A with a 3-0 record, while the Black Antelopes fell to a 1-2 standing after this result.
With the score tied at 65-all and 2:52 remaining in the contest, the Dominicans went on a 10-0 run, capped off by Victor Liz’s two free throws to secure the victory.
This was the perfect response for the Central American nation after they squandered a lead as large as 28-13, which they had built in the second quarter courtesy of Andres Feliz’s lay-up.
“Of course, I’m very happy,” said Los Quisqueyanos coach Nestor Garcia. “We finished in the top position of a very tough group. As I said before, my players did their best.”
Feliz led the Dominican Republic with 17 points in 23 minutes and 29 seconds, shooting 86 percent from the field. Liz followed suit with 13 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes.
Karl-Anthony Towns was limited to just eight points in 15 minutes due to foul trouble.
The result also means that Gilas Pilipinas can still advance to the next round if they defeat Italy by 12 points or more.
On the other hand, Silvio de Sousa led the Black Antelopes with 19 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes and 45 seconds.
Bruno Fernando followed his lead with 13 points in 17 minutes and 2 seconds but fouled out late in the game.
Gerson Domingos and Jilson Bango contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Angolans.
The Scores:
Dominican Republic 75 – Feliz 17, Liz 13, Towns 8, Delgado 8, Quiñones 7, Solano 6, Peña 5, Montero 4, Vargas 3, Figueroa 2, Mendoza 2.
Angola 67 – De Sousa 19, Fernando 13, Domingos 12, Bango 11, Dundao 9, Kokila 2, Goncalves 1, Fernandes 0, Monteiro 0, Paulo 0, Maconda 0, Francisco 0.
Quarterscores: 20-11, 37-32, 49-50, 75-67.
