At the end of the tournament, Argentina beat New Zealand to finish 11th

It was an 80-70 win and he shined on the offensive end after a great first half. Respot and Lomello, the most important. The Selectmen finished their run in 11th place and a 3-4 record.

A smiley end to the tour for the U17 Men’s National Team at the World Cup in Malaga. The players led by Leo Gutiérrez beat New Zealand 80-70 in their last presentation and finished the tournament in 11th place, equaling the feat played by our country in the 2018 edition. Argentina played a great first half in which they scored 20 runs, but had a poor time in the second half due to the physical superiority of the rival prisoners who leveled the game. Juan Respot was the top scorer with 17 points and Maximo Lomello was the most efficient with 13 points and 6 rebounds.

The match started quickly with two long dribbles by Juan Boca. From then on, Argentina were strong and took advantage of the spaces the match defense provided. He set a fast pace, pressured the field and forced New Zealand errors, quickly taking a 23-14 lead late in the first quarter. It was a great first quarter, with unity in attack and intensity in defence. Until then, the work of Maximo Lomello stood out, the main figure responsible for decisively attacking the opponent’s painting.

At the start of the second quarter, Argentina played brilliantly. Adapting to the perimeter continued intensity, being aggressive and getting easy shots. Boys should get an average of 20 light in area. Although New Zealand fought until the end, they took advantage of some defensive errors from the national team and managed to trail 47-36 at the break.

By then, Lomello was on top with 11 units, while Juan Boca scored 9 points. With 7 men López Llorens and Droseski were the leaders of the bench, who contributed goals and freshness to the rotation. The Argentine shot 6/14 on threes and dished out 15 assists on 17 baskets.

New Zealand throughout the third quarter. He imposed centimeters of his big men and wreaked havoc on the painting. In addition, he fixed the defense and caused a long offensive drought for the national team. It was a weak period of attack by national actors. With no three-pointers, a series of losses and a streak of lethargy, they partially gave up on a 17-9 run and only trailed 56-53 in the final quarter.

Argentina had a bad time early in the fourth period. New Zealand continued to score in the paint and took the lead. The reaction came when guys were able to step up on defense and forced turnovers or bad shots that allowed him to run. The game settled back into the rhythm of the first half and the points started to rain. By counterattacking, the national actors recovered the advantage and defined the game in the hands of Boca, Respot and Giovannetti: until they put the final figures: 80-70.

After a great first half, Argentina did not shine in the second game, but won to end their participation. Four players scored in double figures. Maximo Lomello was very efficient with 13 points, 6 rebounds and a PIR of 22. Respot was the top scorer with 17 points and 6 assists. Giovannetti added 13 points and Boca 12 on 4/9 triples.

As a result, Argentina finished their tournament in 11th place, with three wins (Egypt, Japan and New Zealand) and four losses. After placing 11th in the tournament held in Rosario and Santa Fe in 2018, our country completed its second consecutive World Championship. Best historical performance in this tournament was sixth place in 2012.

The first World Cup experience of 2005 comes to an end. A scrap that began its journey at the South American U14s before the pandemic, won the championship by defeating hosts Brazil in the final. But the road is just beginning for this group of players who have gained valuable contact and are thinking about their futures, with the chance to fight for a place in next year’s U19 World Cup squad.

Statistics

Photo: Courtesy of FIBA