MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – The Dominican Republic earned its second win at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 in a hard-fought contest. After trailing for 35 minutes, the team managed to take a step forward and send the game into overtime (75-75), ultimately defeating Argentina 84-83.
With the victory, the Caribbean team remained unbeaten and took sole possession of first place in Group C.
The Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua, Nicaragua, was the stage for another chapter of this modern rivalry between the Dominicans and Argentinians, where the Caribbean side once again made a statement – just as they did during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, when they beat Argentina twice and eliminated them from the tournament.
Turning point
Although the game was close, Argentina led on the scoreboard for 35 minutes. A three-pointer by Ángel Núñez gave the Dominican Republic its first lead with 4:45 remaining, and from then until the end of regulation, there were four lead changes. Núñez himself tied the game at 75 from the free-throw line to force overtime, where the Dominicans prevailed thanks to a clutch jumper from David Jones-Garcia with 17 seconds left, followed by two successful defensive stops against Argentina’s three-point attempts.
TCL player of the game
Andrés Feliz had a double-double of 14 points and 11 assists. He stood out as the most impactful and efficient performer in a matchup where calling it a “total team win” would be far from cliché.
The Real Madrid guard, who also grabbed seven rebounds, was backed by Jones-Garcia with 20 points, Núñez with 11 of his 14 coming in the fourth quarter. Also, a major defensive effort from Joel Soriano, who registered six blocks in key moments, marking the third-best shot-blocking performance in an AmeriCup game since 2003 (behind Peter John Ramos’ 8 and José Ortíz’s 7, both for Puerto Rico).
Stats don’t lie
Statistically, both teams were evenly matched. The Dominican Republic held slight advantages in rebounding (49-44), points in the paint (48-42), two-point field goal porcentaje (56 percent on 44 attempts), and totaled 11 blocked shots.
Bottom line
The 11 blocks recorded by the Dominican Republic set a new single-game record for a team at the AmeriCup. The previous mark belonged to Venezuela, with 10 (achieved twice).
Andrés Feliz also became the Dominican Republic’s single-game assist leader at the AmeriCup with his 11 dimes.
They said
Dominican Republic head coach Néstor “Che” García praised the defensive adjustments his team made as the game progressed, which were key to turning the score around.
“Argentina was much better than us at the start, but we managed to adjust defensively and slow down their rhythm because they were scoring too easily. Toward the end, we were able to tie it and then take the lead in what was a very balanced game,” said García.
FIBA