SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO (Argentina) – The defending champions are officially in trouble. Minas Tenis Clube erased an early double-digit deficit and closed the game on a 18-7 run to beat Quimsa, 84-73 – handing the Argentinians their second consecutive loss. The crowd at Estadio Ciudad in Santiago del Estero was stunned as the Brazilians chipped away throughout the night and pulled away late to seal the victory.
Turning point
After finding themselves down by 10 at the end of the first quarter, Minas clawed their way back and evened the score at several different occasions during the third period. However, they were only able to retake the lead midway through the fourth on a Danilo Fuzaro floater off the glass that kickstarted a devastating 14-2 run that sealed the deal for the visitors.
Player of the game
Fuzaro scored 11 of his 17 points in the final stanza to lead his team to victory. He went 4-for-9 from the field and an excellent 9-for-10 at the free throw line to clinch it for Leonardo Costa’s squad.
Dominican guard Luis Montero added 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Alexander Paranhos and Scott Machado scored 11 apiece. Agustín Pérez had a game-high 20 points for Quimsa while going 3-for-8 from long distance. Forward Nicolás Romano added 18 points.
Stats don’t lie
Minas held Quimsa to 39.7 percent from the field, which allowed them to overcome their 18 turnovers. The Brazilians also pulled down 12 offensive rebounds and collected 8 steals to balance the scales on the possession game. They also went to the line 32 times and made 25 free throws.
Bottom line
With the win, Minas swept the slate in Argentina and improved to 2-0 atop Group C. They’re now the overwhelming favorites to win their zone and advance to the next round. Meanwhile, things are getting late early for Quimsa (0-2) after also losing to Biguá on Friday. The current defending champions are far from eliminated but will be forced to rack up several wins across the next two stages.
FIBA