Tayra Melendez '12 to Play for Puerto Rico at Centrobasket Championships

Tayra last played for Puerto Rico in 2010 in the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championships while a sophomore at Rivers.
Tayra Melendez '12 will represent Puerto Rico at the 2014 Centrobasket Championship for Women this week in Monterray, Mexico. Tayra was a standout basketball player during her time at Rivers and now stars for the University of Rhode Island, where she will be a junior in the fall.

URI announced that Tayra would be playing in the tournament on Monday. Click here to read the whole press release.

"I would like to begin by thanking God for this opportunity and the experience that I will take with me forever," Melendez said. "I will forever be grateful for this summer. I have met amazing people and made great memories with a great group of women.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be able to play with a jersey that not only has the name of my country but also the name of my family," Melendez said. "It is an amazing feeling to know that I represent not only my home country but also my family, both of which I love very dearly."

At 20, Tayra will be the youngest member of a Puerto Rican team that is full of professional players. This will be her second time representing Puerto Rico, the first being the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship for Women during her sophomore year at Rivers.

Four teams from the Centrobasket tournament will earn bids to the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship. Puerto Rico will play three games in the next three days against the Dominican Republic (July 22), Costa Rica (July 23), and Mexico (July 24).
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