MIAMI (United States) - Real Estelí became the sixth team to achieve its qualification for the Quarterfinals of the BCL Americas by defeating Toros del Valle on Thursday in Group A. It was the sixth consecutive postseason appearance for the team.
Instituto, meanwhile, dominated in Group D against CDC Leones, who ended their campaign for this season. This was the best of Thursday:
Real Estelí 85 – 81 Toros del Valle
Will Daniels stepped up in crunch time with a couple of key baskets, leading Real Estelí to victory over Toros del Valle at the Coliseo Iván de Bedout. The big man knocked down a corner three to put his team ahead 81-80 with 1:15 left on the clock. He then grabbed an offensive rebound and scored under the basket to break the 81-81 tie, giving Estelí the lead (83-81) with 32.9 seconds remaining. Toros had a chance to even it up, but Christian Pizarro missed a layup. On the other end, Jezreel De Jesús sealed the win (85-81) by sinking two clutch free throws with just 19.1 seconds left. De Jesús led the “Tren del Norte” offense with 22 points. Gabriel Girón added 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jared Ruiz posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Daniels finished with 14.
“Daniels is a clutch player. He did it all season in the Nicaraguan league. That three-pointer play was drawn up for him. He’s a great player with ice in his veins, and he also played solid defense,” said Real Estelí’s head coach, David Rosario. Up next, the Nicaraguan squad will face a Group B opponent—either Boca Juniors or Flamengo. “Whoever we face, we’ll take it game by game. God’s will be done, but we just hope to stay healthy,” said Ruiz after the game. For Toros, Michael Wright was the top scorer with 22 points. Tonny Trocha (9 rebounds) and Pizarro (7 assists) followed with 13 points each, while Luis Almanza contributed 11. This Friday, Toros and Paisas will battle it out for a spot in the Quarterfinals—the winner secures their ticket.
CDC Leones 72 – 84 Instituto
Instituto (3-2) put on a great display of teamwork and offensive efficiency to defeat CDC Leones (0-6) in another Group D matchup. The team from Córdoba, Argentina, shot an impressive 57% from the field (33-58), and all 10 available players contributed to the score. Bautista Lugarini was perfect with his shooting (7-7), including 2-2 from three-point range, for a total of 16 points and 8 rebounds. Nicola Pomoli (6 assists) and Nicolas Copello added 11 points each and Javier Saiz added another 10. The team led by coach Lucas Victoriano dominated from the start with a 22-11 run in the first quarter. They maintained control throughout, running the court (20-7 in fast break points) and attacking the basket (52-28 in points in the paint). Shaheed Davis and Ignacio Carrión each scored 13 points for the Chilean squad, who left the competition still without a victory.
FIBA