The Bahamas took a big step towards the semifinals by defeating Finland 96:85 in the first round of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
In the first half, Finland had complete control of the game. They shot exceptionally well from distance, led by a hot-handed Mikael Jantunen. Early in the third quarter, Finland’s lead grew to as much as 12 points (64:52).
However, everything changed at that moment when Jantunen picked up his third foul, and Buddy Hield found his shooting rhythm. The Philadelphia 76ers’ member sparked a Bahamas run with back-to-back three-pointers, and then Travis Munnings made important steal to cut the deficit to 64:60.
Soon, the Bahamas took the lead, which they extended to 73:67 at the end of the third quarter, thanks to a few strong moves by Deandre Ayton. In the final quarter, young Baylor standout Valdez Edgecombe stood out with several impressive dunks.
An Eric Gordon three-pointer pushed the Bahamas to their first double-digit lead (82:72), which they maintained until the end. Finland managed to cut the deficit to 88:85 at one point, but Gordon responded with a step-back two pointer, and Franco Miller’s corner three sealed the game.
The Bahamas’ top four players shone the brightest. Hield finished the game with 24 points. Edgecombe added 20, Ayton scored 19, and Gordon contributed 16. For Finland, Jantunen and Edon Maxhuni each scored 20 points today.
The Bahamas will face Poland in their second-round match of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament tomorrow, while Finland will play the European clash against Poland on Thursday. The top two teams will advance to the semifinals, and only the winner of the tournament in Valencia will secure a spot in Paris.