MANAGUA, Nicaragua, CMC – All three English-speaking Caribbean teams in the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Pre-Qualifier in Nicaragua had their bright spots. Still, they all lost their first-round matches on Friday.
The United States Virgin Islands, one of only two English-speaking Caribbean teams ranked in the FIBA top 100 at 59th, kept things close before Cuba outlasted them 72-63; Barbados, rated at 101, led by three after the third quarter, but Paraguay wore them down for an 80-70 win, and Antigua & Barbuda, ranked at 107, trailed by only one at halftime before Nicaragua beat them 79-71.
Ivan Aska scored a match-high 20 points, and Amir Nesbitt added 12 points for the USVI – but that was not enough to take care of 70th-ranked Cuba, which had only one player – Jasiel Rivero finish in double figures with 13 points.
“We’ve got a lot of things to straighten up,” USVI head coach Edneisha Curry said. “We had a lot of unnecessary mistakes, offensively and on defense, that we’ll clean up throughout the tournament.”
The Barbadians led 67-65 with 3:57 left, but they could only muster three points in the last three minutes.
Kyrone Alexander led the way for Barbados with 20, Keefe Birkett scored 17, Carl Thorpe got 12, and Tanner Thomas added 10. Still, the Paraguayans got 33 from Rodney Mercado and Juan Poisson to grab the win.
Five players led by Selassie Braithwaite with 16 got into double figures for Antigua & Barbuda. Still, Nicaragua got a match-high 41 from Jared Ruiz, and he was the only player in double figures for his side, and they defied the Caribbean side.
Kareem Edwards scored 12 for the Antiguans, Jaden Andrew 11, Jasmine Charles 11, and Xavier Spencer 10.
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