Spanish Under-17 Team Shines in World Cup Opener
The Spanish Under-17 basketball team made a resounding start to the FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Turkey, defeating Puerto Rico 89-63.
The Spanish team’s dominance on the rebounds was the key factor in the game, with a 52-29 advantage over their opponents. Gildas Gimenez, a forward for Real Madrid’s junior team, was unstoppable on the court, scoring 17 points and rejecting nine shots.
Gimenez’s statistics were impressive, going 5-of-5 on two-point shots, 2-of-3 on three-point shots, and 1-of-2 on free throws. His performance earned him a player-of-the-match rating of 19.
Other notable players for Spain included Sergi Kemu, who scored 13 points, and Raul Villar, who recorded 14 assists. The Spanish team will face the Philippines, which lost to Lithuania 48-107, in their next match on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico struggled to make their shots, shooting below 40% from the field throughout the game. Jahrel Vigo was the standout player for Puerto Rico, with nine points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Spain will look to continue their winning ways in their next match, while Puerto Rico will hope to bounce back against the strong Lithuanian team.
Box Score:
Spain (89)
- Villar: 10 points
- Del Pino: 6 points
- Campoy: 9 points
- Del Castillo:
- Platteeuw: 9 points
- García-Plata: 5 points
- Kemu: 13 points
- Huelves: 5 points
- Giménez: 17 points
- Blanco: 5 points
- Balde: 8 points
- Gómez: 2 points
Puerto Rico (63)
- Vigo: 9 points
- Rognny Santiago: 6 points
- Román: 6 points
- Stewart Jr.: 6 points
- Quiñones: 4 points
- Pino:
- Cruz:
- Mason Santiago: 6 points
- Dill: 8 points
- Rosa: 7 points
- Colón: 4 points
- Montes: 7 points
Referees: Benniamino Manuel Attard, Daigo Urushima, and Fernando Leite.
Incidents: Group A match of the FIBA Under-17 World Cup played at the Ahmed Comert Sports Hall in Istanbul.
