France's Lobo excels from long-range 3-pointers in defeat against Team USA
In the heart of Prill, Switzerland, the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup is underway, and one player from the Lobo basketball family is making waves. Timeo Pons, a signee for the UNM Lobos, has been a standout for France, scoring 12 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range, in a closely contested game against tournament favourites Team USA.
Pons, who will wear jersey number 29 for the Lobo men's basketball team, a number that has not been used by a Lobo player before, is the only Lobo player to have a first-time number for this season. This is the third season that the NCAA allows all numbers from 0 to 99 to be worn by players.
While Team USA and France are considered tournament favourites in Group D play, dubbed "the Group of Death" due to the presence of Cameroon and Australia, Pons' team, France, currently stands at 1-1 in Group D play. Despite a strong performance from Pons, France narrowly lost to Team USA, but Pons did not score in a previous win against Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Daniel Jacobsen, a former Albuquerque resident and La Cueva Bear, scored nine points and pulled down four rebounds for Team USA in 12 minutes played. Jacobsen, who plays for Purdue, altered several shots on drives to the rim for Team USA.
The game between France and Australia on Tuesday will be at 9:15 a.m. Mountain Time and can be viewed live online at YouTube.com/fiba. The reveal of player jersey numbers for the Lobo men's basketball season took place on Friday. Sir Marius Jones and Chris Howell will be the second Lobos to wear numbers 7 and 8, respectively, after Ibrahima Sacko and Filip Borovicanin wore them last season.
As the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup progresses, fans eagerly await Pons' return to the U.S. to join his new team at UNM later this summer, after the U19 World Cup ends on July 6. The exact significance of Pons wearing jersey number 29 for the UNM Lobos basketball team remains unknown, but it is common for players to assign personal meaning to their chosen numbers.
With Pons' impressive performance on the international stage and the upcoming season for the Lobo men's basketball team, basketball enthusiasts in Albuquerque and beyond are excited to see what the future holds for this talented young player.
In the spirit of his international success with France, Timeo Pons is expected to bring his basketball talents to the arts and sports scene of Albuquerque when he joins the UNM Lobos, following the conclusion of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. Meanwhile, as the NCAA season approaches, the Lobos' unique jersey number traditions continue to evolve, with Pons being the only Lobo player to choose jersey number 29 this season.
