The U18s suffered from Canada’s physical power, which broke it late in the game and won 81-57. The boys didn’t make it to the podium, but they achieved their big goal in Tijuana: international contact and a ticket to the World Cup.

In their last FIBA ​​Americas appearance in Tijuana, the U18 Men’s National Team felt the wear and tear of a demanding tournament and lost to Canada 81-57 ​​in the game for third place. square. Argentina struggled with efficiency, but played level for three quarters, even reaching a maximum of eight in the first half. But Canada imposed its physical superiority and dominated the painted zone on both sides. In this way, the boys finished in fourth place with a record of three wins and three losses, they secured their ticket to next year’s World Cup in Hungary and ensured the continuity of their process at international level. . A very successful year 2022 for a litter that made its official debut in the national jersey.

Argentina struggled to get into an attacking rhythm, in fact, it took almost five minutes to score their first basket. But the good defense helped keep the Canadian cast close to the scoreboard. Amid imprecision and low scoring, the boys closed the first quarter down 13-10, shooting only 3/13 from the field with 1/8 triples and 6 turnovers, but with a excellent income from Marchiaro which brought a breath of fresh air. air on the fence.

The start of the second quarter was fantastic for those led by Herman Mandole. With a fine pass from Lee Aaliya, Diego Collomb and Benjamín Marchiaro, Argentina capitalized on the good defensive work with baskets on the other side. The boys passed the ball and the three-point ring opened up to make a 14-3 run in the opening minutes and get a maximum eight. However, Canada reacted in the second half, found a way around the zone defense and regained control at the end to lead 33-31 at halftime.

The return from the locker room was delayed due to problems in one of the baskets, the game was delayed for several minutes and it was felt at the start of the third quarter. Both teams started cold, but Canada was the first to strike against Argentina’s proposed zone defense. The North Americans executed better and found three-point efficiency. And even though Argentina got up on offense as the minutes went on and started to build up, Canada scored 25 points in the quarter and ran away 58-48 before the final ten minutes.

In the last quarter, Canada ended up breaking the game. With his physical and athletic superiority, he closed the paint of a national distribution that was not comfortable with shooting from distance and exclusively dependent on what was generated near the hoop. His rival has fed on the defensive task to run and hurt where he performs best, on the open field. He went on a 23-9 run to claim the 81-57 ​​victory. In Argentina, Santiago Trouet was the highlight, the Estudiantes de Madrid player finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, along with Collomb’s 10 points.

In this way, the national team closed a solid task in the contest. They finished fourth, with three wins and three losses, after securing their ticket to next year’s World Cup in Hungary and adding significant friction against top international teams such as the United States, Canada and the Brazil. The litter closes a year of deep and positive work, with a deep sweep to meet a class that had suffered greatly from the consequences of the pandemic in our country, including two summer camps in La Rioja and Saladas. He participated in two international tournaments and in both cases he achieved his main goals: silver medal and qualification in South America, fourth place and ticket to the World Cup in FIBA ​​​​Americas. Best of all, the boys have ensured that their working process has one more year of official continuity and an elite international tournament on the horizon for next year.

STATISTICS

Photos: Courtesy of FIBA