Twenty-seven-year-old New Jersey-based Nicole Louden scored a game-high 33 points to spearhead Jamaica to their third consecutive win at the Centrobasket Championships for Women in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico yesterday.

Simone Edwards added 17 points and Vanessa Gidden 15, as Jamaica outpointed the Dominican Republic 79-76 to maintain their lead in Group A with a maximum six points and will play either Puerto Rico or Trinidad and Tobago in Group B today.

It was a tough first half for Jamaica, as the first quarter ended 15-15 before the Dominican Republic moved ahead by seven points at half-time. The score was 34-27.

The Jamaicans put in a gutsy performance in the third quarter after the Dominican Republic led by 10 points with just 2 minutes 54 seconds remaining. With regular visits to the free throw line, especially by Louden, Jamaica outscored Dominican Republic 27-21 to go into the last quarter trailing 54-55.

When Louden levelled the score 63-63 at 6:09, the Jamaicans realised that though weary in fighting back, they could pull it off.

Louden rose to the occasion at 3:37 remaining to lift Jamaica to 67-66 and with the support of Edwards and Gidden, carried Jamaica to a six-point lead of 74-68 with 1:53 left. Though the Dominican Republic closed the gap, Jamaica held on for victory.

Carmen Guzman scored 27 points for Dominican Republic, supported by Jennifer Diaz, 15 points.