The U17 national team fought till the end but could not against New Zealand

Argentina fell in the game against the sea team and will face Slovenia-Korea in the U17 Women’s World Cup series this Saturday.

The U17 national team couldn’t wrap up a good game against New Zealand and fell 65-58 in the opening round of the reclassification stage of the World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary. The cast, led by Laura Gonzalez, played very well, showing an evolution on both sides of the field and staying on the scoreboard for more than forty minutes, although their rival did better and came away with the win. This Saturday, Argentina will face Slovenia and Korea, the loser of the 13 to 16 tournament.

The chosen Albiceleste had several features to highlight this Friday at noon. Angelina Giaccone (12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals), Paula Lopez (11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 rebounds), Juana Amaya (12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 rebounds), Juana Amaya (12 points, 6 rebounds) and 4 steals), Malena Magee was the top scorer with 13 points. 8 points, 6 boards and 6 assists) and Neria Lakovsky (6 points and 8 rebounds). There were fewer losses compared to previous commitments (15), although the story was complicated by the loss of talent in shootings and New Zealand’s struggle to bounce back.

The U17’s got off to a good start, capitalizing on their good performance in the three-point shot, going 4/8 on three-pointers in the opening minutes on the scoreboard. Magee’s good arm marked a starting point for a team that relied on the inside game of Giacon and Lakowski and struggled to rebound at par. Still, the routine stuck and Argentina couldn’t take off in the first stanza, ending the first 19-15 and leading 30-27 entering the long break. Giacon and López took offensive command for several passages of that first half.

Little by little everything started to become filler. New Zealand’s flurry of points became harder to counter, and despite the tight scoreline, Argentina didn’t have the same performance early on and it cost them dearly in the long run. Gonzalez’s men led 46-43 in the final quarter, but the trident formed by Jones, Tamizho and Douleley was the backbone of the Oceanic team, finishing with two consecutive triples that were key to defining the match. Argentina tried to respond once again, but their rival was too determined and won the match.

As a result, Argentina will continue its activities in this U17 World Cup from tomorrow, Saturday, with the opponent and the schedule yet to be defined. The match between Slovenia and South Korea will be a loser and the national team will try to add to their first win to reach the best position in the tournament.

Official statistics