Former Duke women’s basketball player Sofia Roma and the Puerto Rican Olympic basketball team lost a one-point heartbreaker to Spain on Wednesday.
Puerto Rico only scored nine points in the opening quarter, trailing by that same margin after Spain scored 18. The Spanish team widened the gap in the second quarter, building a 39-25 advantage by the midway point.
Roma and her teammates heard no bell, however. Puerto Rico dominated the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 19-5 to tie the game at 44 points apiece with one quarter to play.
The improbable comeback was on, and Puerto Rico seemed destined for a much-needed victory. After an opening loss to Serbia in group play, a second defeat would almost assuredly keep Roma and her teammates from advancing to the elimination bracket. With five minutes left, Puerto Rico led 57-53, seemingly marching toward a 1-1 record.
However, after pulling within a point, Spain’s Laura Gil earned two trips to the free-throw line in the final two seconds of the game. She buried them both, giving her country a 63-62 victory.
Roma finished with one point in 14 minutes of action.
Close finish. On to next. 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/BDihpyn3uy
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) July 31, 2024
Roma, who began her collegiate career with Wagner, transferred to Duke ahead of the 2016-17 season. She played in 35 games across her last two seasons with the Blue Devils