JAMAICA lost heavily to host nation Puerto Rico in their opening game of the 2012 Centrobasket Championship for Women in the city of Morovis Tuesday night.

The Jamaicans went down 53-82 in a contest the Puerto Ricans dominated for the most part inside the Jose ‘Pepe’ Huyke Coloseum.

After ending the first quarter even with 16 points apiece, the hosts, who defeated the Jamaicans in the finals of the 2010

edition, outscored Jamaica 17-6 in the second.

The 2010 runners-up were second best in all areas, as the team with only four returnees from the last tournament, got a baptism of fire.

Only centre Shanneika Smith (17 points, 7 rebs) and Swiss-based power forward Rhona McKenzie (14 pts, 9 rebs) managed to tally points into double-figures for Jamaica.

Contrastingly four Puerto Ricans recorded 10 or more points with shooting guard Jazmine Sepuldeva scoring a game high 28 points.

The third quarter was more competitive but was still won 21-19 by the Spanish-speaking natives, who held a commanding 29-point lead by then. It was too big a gap to close and in the end the hosts ran out comfortable winners to begin their title defence on a high note.

Defensively the Jamaicans matched their opponents and were even better offensively in rebounds, scoring 14-6.

But the telling difference was made in open play, as the host scored at 63 per cent from inside the three-point line, comparing to the

Jamaicans 34 per cent.

Meantime in the other group game Mexico defeated El Salvador 77-44 to go atop of Puerto Rico in Group A.

In Group B, Cuba trounced Trinidad & Tobago 88-36, while the Dominican Republic edged the US Virgin Islands 72-69.

The competition continues on Wednesday, with Jamaica playing Mexico at 3:45 pm local time.