George Washington University Athletics
Camila Tapias Helps Colombia to Bronze at South American Championship
5/31/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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May 31, 2016
2016 South American Women's Championship
BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela -- George Washington women's basketball rising junior Camila Tapias helped the Colombian National Team to the bronze medal at the 2016 South American Women's Championship last week. The nine-team tournament took place May 20-26 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Tapias averaged 6.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 14.1 minutes of action though the tournament's six games.
Tapias opened the tournament with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals as Colombia trounced Chile, 79-38. After falling to eventual champion Brazil, Colombia dominated both Paraguay and Uruguay to finish group play with a 3-1 record and advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2010. Against Paraguay, Tapias scored seven points and made a pair of threes in an 83-42 victory. She then tallied eight points, seven boards and seven assists in an 83-42 win over Uruguay.
Colombia lost to host Venezuela in the semifinals but upset heavily favored Argentina, the defending South American champion, 59-55, to take third place and grab the bronze medal. Tapias scored nine points in the contest and connected on 3-of-6 from 3-point range, including a triple at the third-quarter buzzer that gave Colombia a two-point lead heading into the final quarter.
"It was an unforgettable experience. Having the opportunity to represent my country with the senior team was a blessing," said Tapias, who made her senior national team debut after playing with Colombia's youth national team since she was 14. "I had the opportunity to learn from other players who had more experience than me at the international level not only from my team but from other teams, as well. Every time I stepped on the court I was proud and honored to represent my country again."
By placing in the top four, Colombia has qualified for the 2017 FIBA Women's Americas Championship.
Now an upperclassman, Tapias will return to Foggy Bottom in July ready to step up and take on a larger role with the Colonials.
"I think this experience really helped me to feel better physically and mentally on the court," she said. "It also helped me to feel more confident in my game since my coach gave me more responsibilities on and off the court. I proved to myself that I'm ready and confident to help GW this upcoming season."
¡Tapias para cerrar el 3QT! 🎯 Argentina 42-44 Colombia. #Sudamericano2016 https://t.co/Fx7JXvFxNI
-- FIBA en español (@FIBA_es) May 26, 2016
