Vassallo scores 13 points in Puerto Rico win

Virginia Tech guard A.D. Vassallo scored 13 points in 18 minutes of play in Puerto Rico’s 107-102 win over Panama in the third day of pool play in Group B  at the 2008 Centrobasket Tournament on Friday night in Cancun, Mexico.

Puerto Rico led 57-50 at the half and held off Panama to finish 3-0 in pool play. Puerto Rico’s Jose Juan Barea of the Dallas Mavericks, led all scorers with 31 points.

Vassallo is playing for the Puerto Rico national team in the tournament, which included the top eight countries in the Carribbean and Central America. With the win, Puerto Rico has advanced to the semifinals and will play the Dominican Republic on Saturday. The top two teams in each of the two pools advanced to the semifinals and those four teams have qualified for the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.