Second Quarter Run Sparks Chile's 75-53 win over Costa Rica

Chile head coach Cristian Santander Lavado wasn't about to call it perfect, but there were definitely things he liked about Chile's 75-53 preliminary round victory over Costa Rica in Pool A of the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women on June 23 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Chile had five players score in double figures in the win, led by Francisca Rojas Solis' 14 points. Fernanda Tapia Santander and Javiera Morales Leyton each scored 12, while Cynthia Bascunan Luis and Fernanda Serran Aburto had 10 apiece.

Morales Leyton scored eight of her 12 points in a three-minute stretch at the beginning of the second quarter, when Chile went on a 14-0 run to build an early 21-point lead. It was that stretch that helped overshadow the 62 total fouls committed between the two teams.

"We really didn't play very well, but we managed to win. In a game where you have that many fouls, you have to come back and play hard to make up for it," Santander Lavado said. "We did get a lot of (baskets) in the second quarter, and the rotation of players really worked. So hopefully we'll be able to continue that throughout the tournament."

Costa Rica's Michelle Mayorga Hidalgo led all scorers with 23 points. Mairela Matamoros Solis added 14 points for Costa Rica.

After the first of three preliminary round games, Chile is tied with Canada, a 77-31 winner over Mexico, atop Group A at 1-0. The two will meet tomorrow at 11 a.m., while Costa Rica plays Mexico at 1:15 p.m.