The Argentine National Basketball Team failed to secure its qualification for the Americup (America's Cup) after losing 67-64 to Venezuela in the first match of the FIBA Window, held on Venezuelan soil. Despite being ahead for most of the first quarter thanks to Facundo Campazzo, the locals managed to tie the score at the end of the first half.
In the second quarter, it was Venezuela that managed to pull ahead on the scoreboard, but decisive interventions from Brussino allowed Argentina to catch up and close the first half just three points behind (33-36). The rest of the game showed constant parity and a narrow lead on the scoreboard, keeping the suspense until the final quarter.
With a score of 64-63 in favor of Venezuela in the final quarter, Campazzo missed Argentine offensive attempts, and Cisneros made a dunk that widened the gap to less than a minute before the end. The albiceleste team fought until the last second but could not turn the situation around and was overcome by the local team.
Nicolás Brussino was the top scorer for the Argentine team with 12 points, while Juan Fernández (10 points and 12 rebounds) and Marcos Delía had notable performances despite the loss. Argentina's next challenge will be on Sunday at 20:10, when they face Colombia with the fixed goal of qualifying for the America’s Cup. The match took place at the Parque Miranda stadium in a start that showed balance and friction, with few points scored from both sides.