By Reinaldo Oliveros
05 Jul 2024, 09:50 AM EDT
Mexico’s national team defeated Ivory Coast 92-81 and advanced to the semi-finals of the Pre-Olympic basketball tournament.
The Mexican team will have to face Puerto Rico, a team that defeated Italy for the first time in 30 years.
Mexico vs. Puerto Rico and Lithuania vs. Italy These will be the semi-final matches of the Pre-Olympic Basketball Tournament being held on the Caribbean island for a single ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The match against the Puerto Ricans will be this Saturday at 4:00 pm Los Angeles time. If they win, they would go to the final for an Olympic spot in Paris 2024.
Mexico snatches victory from Ivory Coast
Mexico, led by three players who achieved double-doubles -Paul Stoll, Joshua Ibarra and Fabián Jaimes- advanced to the semifinals by eliminating the Ivory Coast.
The Ivorians dominated the Mexicans in the first period by winning it with a score of 25-22, but the Aztecs responded in the second round, and with a basket by Moisés Andriassi they obtained their first advantage with a score of 25-26.
That basket by Andriassi was part of a 10-0 run that gave Mexico a 25-32 lead.
In the third period, the Ivorians continued to dominate the Mexicans, and with an 8-0 run, they extended the score to 60-51, causing Mexican coach Omar Quintero to call time out.
It seemed that time helped a lot, because thanks to the offensive work of Stoll and Ibarra, they kept their team in the fight, although Ivory Coast closed that third quarter dominating it 69-68.
Entering the fourth quarter, a triple by Jaimes gave Mexico its first lead since the second period with a score of 69-71.
Then, with a basket by Ibarra, who finished the challenge with 22 points, he helped the Mexican team and supported by several three-pointers from Stoll, to take absolute command for the rest of the match.
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