A pair of double-double performances by its star players helped the Bahamas defeat Lebanon to advance to the finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament in València, Spain.
Deandre Ayton produced 24 points and 15 rebounds and Buddy Hield had 19 points and 10 assists in their 89-72 victory on Saturday. Eric Gordon contributed 13 points and VJ Edgecombe chipped in 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals.
The Bahamas led by as many as 20 points in the first half before Lebanon cut the deficit to five points early in the fourth quarter. However, the group outscored its opponent 22-10 the rest of the way to inch closer to securing its first appearance in the Olympic Games.
Edgecombe, who will play next season at Baylor, is one of six collegiate players on the roster and is representing the Bahamas for the first time at the senior level. He has emerged as one of their top players, averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and two steals.
After beating Lebanon, the Bahamas (3-0) remained perfect in the qualifying tournament. The team will face either Spain (2-0) or Finland (1-1) in the final on Sunday (2 p.m. EDT), which will determine one of the four remaining spots in the 2024 Olympic Games.
The team that wins on Sunday will be placed in Group A to start the Olympics, along with Australia, Canada and the country that wins the qualifying tournament in Greece.
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