BELO HORIZONTE (Brazil) – Minas returned the favor to Instituto, defeating them at home at Arena Minas Tênis Clube, 79-70, to even the Quarterfinals series of the Basketball Champions League Americas at 1-1 and force a decisive third game. The final showdown will take place this Thursday, March 13, at 6:10 PM local time, at the same venue.
Turning point
The Brazilian squad executed at a high level down the stretch and, led by Argentine guard Franco Baralle, secured a crucial victory. Lee Aaliya brought Instituto within three points (70-67) with a layup at the 3:12 mark of the fourth quarter, but Minas responded with six straight points to extend their lead to 76-67 with 1:46 left on the clock, putting the game firmly in their grasp. During that crucial run, Alexandre Paranhos delivered a spectacular dunk through the defense, followed by two consecutive layups from Baralle—the first coming off a steal—leaving Instituto in deep trouble. The Argentine club showed signs of life when Aaliya knocked down a three-pointer (76-70), but Baralle crushed any hopes of a comeback with another shot from beyond the arc, extending the lead to 79-70 with 1:24 remaining.
Player of the game
Baralle finished with 21 points, 12 of them in the final period. He also contributed 5 assists and 2 steals.
Jeremy Hollowell added 15 points and 8 rebounds for the winners, while Juan Arengo and Scott Machado chipped in with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Paranhos recorded 7 points and 11 rebounds. For Instituto, Aaliya led the way with 17 points, while Nicolás Copello (13), Nicola Pomoli (13), and Emmitt Holt (12) also reached double figures in scoring.
Stats don’t lie
Despite shooting just 37% from the field (compared to Instituto’s 44%), Minas held on thanks to their near-perfect free throw shooting, converting 16 of 17 (94%). They also dominated the rebounding battle, 47-29, including 20 offensive boards to Instituto’s 6, which allowed them to attempt 11 more shots than their opponent.
Bottom line
Backed by their home crowd, Minas will look to secure their fourth Final 4 appearance in BCL Americas history this Thursday. Instituto, on the other hand, will be fighting for their second.
FIBA