SANTIAGO (Chile) – Argentina (2-2) needed a win to secure its place in the next stage of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025, and it delivered by defeating El Salvador (0-3) 76-57. With the result, the South American team, which has now completed all its games in the Group Phase, is locked in at least third place in Group A.
Turning point
El Salvador briefly took a 28-27 lead after a jump shot by Hillary Martínez with 2:31 left in the second quarter, but Argentina responded with an 11-0 run sparked by the hot hand of Macarena D’urso (8 points and 2 three-pointers) to go into halftime up 38-28.
In the second half, Argentina maintained its tempo and took good care of the ball to keep control of the scoreboard. A layup by Candela Gentinetta made it 69-54 with just 1:39 left in the game, putting an end to El Salvador’s hopes of a comeback.
Player of the game
Argentina’s head coach, Gregorio Martínez, opted to rest veteran center Agostina Burani. In her absence, fellow post player Diana Cabrera stepped up and delivered, leading the team with a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds.
D’urso added 11 points, including three triples, while Andrea Boquete followed with 10 points and a pair of three-pointers. Melisa Gretter— who became the AmeriCup’s all-time assists leader (since 2003) in the previous game— dished out 8 more assists, while also scoring 5 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.
For El Salvador, Martínez posted 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Kimberly Villalobos recorded another double-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Stats don’t lie
Argentina hit 11 three-pointers compared to just two by El Salvador, but perhaps the most notable stat was the 24 assists with only 6 turnovers, a stark contrast to El Salvador’s 10 assists and 12 turnovers.
The Argentine bench also played a key role, contributing 31 points to just seven from El Salvador’s reserves.
Bottom line
Argentina will have Wednesday off and rest for 48 hours before playing its Quarter-Final matchup on Friday against an opponent yet to be determined. El Salvador, already eliminated, will close out group play on Wednesday against the reigning champions, Brazil.
They said
“I’m happy with what I did, but it was tough at first. In the second half, we were able to settle into our game more and took better, more comfortable shots. Now we’re focused on what’s next,” said Cabrera after her team’s important win.
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