SANTO DOMINGO. The Dominican Republic national basketball team will face Nicaragua this Monday in the continuation of the Third Qualifying Window for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, in a game scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at the renovated Arena BanReservas Profesor Virgilio Travieso Soto.
Coach Néstor “Che” García announced two changes to the official roster for the match, with the additions of young players Richard Bautista and Jhery Matos, who replace Ángel Luis Delgado and Justin Minaya.
Delgado was ruled out due to injury, while Minaya will not be available due to personal commitments. In the previous match against the United States, Delgado recorded five points, four rebounds, and three assists in 11:36 minutes of action, while Minaya played just over four minutes.
The Dominican roster will be composed of Richard Bautista, Jhery Matos, Andrés Feliz, Jean Montero, Gelvis Solano, Jassel Pérez, Christopher Duarte, RJ Luis, Ángel Núñez, Juan Guerrero, Joel Soriano, and Luis Santos.
The “People’s Selection” arrives motivated after delivering an outstanding performance against the United States, despite falling by a narrow score of 82-81 last Friday. Andrés Feliz led the Dominican offense with 24 points, along with six rebounds and six assists, while Christopher Duarte contributed 17 points.
With that result, the United States secured first place in Group A with a 4-1 record. The Dominican Republic and Mexico share second place with a 3-2 mark, and both teams have already secured their ticket to the next qualifying round. Nicaragua, with a 0-5 record, was eliminated from the competition.
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In the previous round, Mexico defeated Nicaragua 98-79 with outstanding performances by Yahir Bonilla, who finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Joseph Ávila, who contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds.
The Dominican Republic will seek to close this qualifying window with a victory in front of its home crowd before continuing its path toward the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
