MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Karega Tucker (Jr., Miami, Fla.) scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Barry University men’s basketball team to a 67-53 win over the Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Tarzans (0-1) on Monday night at the Health & Sports Center.
After starting the season 0-3, the Buccaneers (1-3) picked up their first win of the season behind the power play of Tucker, Gabe Lazo and Chad Bishop. The trio combined to score 42 of Barry’s 67 points.
The Tarzans took a surprising early lead after big man Williset Del Valle converted the game-opening basket six feet behind the three point line. However, Bishop scored eight of the Bucs’ first 10 points to give the Bucs a 10-3 lead at 16:05.
Down by seven, the Tarzans narrowed the Barry lead to 10-7 at the 14:29 mark, but the Buccaneers shot 52.2 percent from the field to carry a 34-20 lead into the break.
The Buccaneers came out firing on all cylinders to extend their lead to 18 with 16:37 to play. But over the next seven minutes, the Tarzans outscored the Bucs 14-6 to pull within seven, 43-36.
After a 30-second timeout by head coach Cesar Odio with 9:10 remaining to play, the Buccaneers managed to extend their lead to double-digits for the 67-53 win.
Barry finished the game with a whopping 51 percent (21 of 41) from the field and converted 12 of 25 three-pointers (48 percent).
Tucker was 10 for 11 at the free throw line and led the Bucs with 18 points and dished out eight assists. Gabe Lazo converted four of seven three-point attempts finishing with 14 points, while Chad Bishop finished with 10. Willie Whitfield grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Luis Ramirez scored 20 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to lead UPR’s offense, while Del Valle finished with 12. Pedro Colon reeled in five rebounds for the Tarzans.
The Buccaneers will return to the hardwood on Friday, Nov. 23 hosting Christian Brothers at the Health & Sports Center.
Newspaper Box Score
Puerto Rico-Mayaguez vs Barry
11/19/07 7:30 pm at Miami Shores, FL (Health & Sports Center)
At Miami Shores, FL (Health & Sports Center)
BARRY 67, PUERTO RICO-MAYAGUEZ 53
PUERTO RICO-MAYAGUEZ (0-1)
RAMIREZ, Luis 8-17 7-8 26; DEL VALLE, Williset 5-11 0-4 12; COLON, Pedro 3-6
0-1 6; MOLANO, Guillermo 1-3 3-4 5; DEL VALLE, Fernando 1-1 0-0 2; SANTIAGO,
Octavio 1-2 0-0 2; VELEZ, Alfredo 0-1 0-0 0; VELASQUEZ, Omar 0-5 0-0 0;
SANTIAGO, Ferdinand 0-0 0-0 0; PADILLA, Amaury 0-3 0-0 0; NEGRON, Ivan 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 19-49 10-17 53.
BARRY (1-3)
TUCKER, Karega 3-7 10-11 18; LAZO, Gabe 4-8 2-2 14; BISHOP, Chad 4-9 0-0 10;
MADYUN, Jamaal 3-4 0-0 8; WHITFIELD, Willie 3-4 1-3 7; LEIBOVICH, Martin 2-3
0-0 6; CHIVERTON, Bryan 2-4 0-0 4; MORRIS, Jeran 0-0 0-0 0; PARAFINCZUK,
John 0-0 0-0 0; UZ, Chris 0-1 0-0 0; ASTIGARRAGA, Bryan 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
21-41 13-16 67.
Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.......... 20 33 - 53
Barry......................... 34 33 - 67
3-point goals--Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 5-13 (RAMIREZ, Luis 3-6; DEL VALLE,
Williset 2-5; VELASQUEZ, Omar 0-1; PADILLA, Amaury 0-1), Barry 12-25 (LAZO,
Gabe 4-7; LEIBOVICH, Martin 2-3; MADYUN, Jamaal 2-3; TUCKER, Karega 2-6;
BISHOP, Chad 2-5; UZ, Chris 0-1). Fouled out--Puerto Rico-Mayaguez-None,
Barry-BISHOP, Chad. Rebounds--Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 19 (COLON, Pedro 5),
Barry 32 (WHITFIELD, Willie 8). Assists--Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 10 (RAMIREZ,
Luis 3; PADILLA, Amaury 3), Barry 18 (TUCKER, Karega 8). Total fouls--Puerto
Rico-Mayaguez 21, Barry 23. Technical fouls--Puerto Rico-Mayaguez-None,
Barry-None. A-541