Panamá had to hold on defensively in the last minute to secure its first victory in these qualifiers. Panamá (29-20-22-13) showed better field goal efficiency (45% vs. Cuba's 42%), as well as superiority in: Two-pointers: 56.67% vs. 45.65%. Three-pointers: 35.29% vs. 34.79%. Free throws: 82.35% vs. 62.5%. 🔹 Panamá's Highlights Iverson Molinar: 26 points (6/11 on two-pointers, 3/10 on three-pointers), though with 7 turnovers. Ernesto Oglivie: 22 points and 11 rebounds (9 defensive). Luis Rodríguez: 12 points and 4 rebounds. Panamá faced the match without Akil Mitchell and Jhivvan Jackson, with Rodríguez replacing the latter. 🔹 Cuba's Highlights Pedro Bombino: 19 points and 7 rebounds. Reynaldo García: 12 points and 8 rebounds. Marlon Díaz: 10 points and 6 rebounds. 🌎 Group D: classification outlook With this victory, Panamá improves its record to 1-3 in Group D, where it shares the zone with Argentina, Uruguay, and Cuba. In the other group match, Uruguay defeated Argentina away 61-44, remaining unbeaten in three outings. The top three from each of the four zones will advance to the Final Stage. For Cuba, Reynaldo García also stood out with nine points. However, the constant turnovers by the Panamanian team—19 in total—allowed the Cubans to increase defensive pressure and the pace of the game. Panama City, Feb 27 (EFE).— The Panamá national team narrowly defeated Cuba 81-84 in the first encounter between the two teams held at the Roberto Durán Arena, in the Panamanian capital, as part of the second window of Group D of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 qualifiers, to be played in Qatar. The match marked the first victory for Puerto Rican coach Nelson Colón at the helm of the isthmian team. 🔥 Molinar leads the 'Canalero' victory Panamá dominated the first quarter 19-29, with point guard Iverson Molinar leading the offense with nine initial points. There, the top three from each group will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup, while the fourth-place teams will play a 'playoff' for the seventh and last spot from the Americas. 🏟️ Alternate venue due to energy crisis These matches were supposed to be played at the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum in Havana, but due to energy difficulties in Cuba, they were moved to Panamá, with the Roberto Durán Arena as the venue. The final window of this phase will be in July, when Cuba will visit Panamá and Uruguay, while Argentina will play in Montevideo and then close against Panamá. The second quarter ended 20-20, and Cuba went up 64-63 in the third period. During the game, there were nearly a dozen lead changes and five ties.
