Biguá crush Quimsa; Libertadores forge on

MIAMI (United States) – Biguá finally got their first win of the 2022-23 BCLA and stopped Quimsa from securing their place in the Final 8, while Libertadores recovered from their loss on Monday to get back to Group A's top spot. Here's how the games played out:

Quimsa 83 – 102 Biguá

After a pair of tough losses to start 2022-23 edition of Basketball Champions League Americas, Biguá uncorked a masterful offensive performance, defeating Quimsa, 102-821, and ending their undefeated streak at 3 games.

The 2021-22 finalists shot a staggering 56 percent from the field and scored 55 points in the second half, to the delight of the fans at the Arena Minas Tenis Clube in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Victor Rudd led the way with a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double on 11/19 from the field, including 8/10 inside the arc.

The 31-year-old was instrumental in Bigua's 52-36 edge in points in the paint.

 

With Santiago Vidal on the controls, the offense fired on all cylinders.

The 33-year-old point guard dished 14 assists and Biguá finished the night with 28 of them in 37 made baskets.

Vidal had plenty of enticing targets, one of them being Dominican big man Luis Santos, who finished with 20 points (8/10 from the field) and 9 rebounds.

 

Veteran guard Donald Sims added 20 points and 6 assist while going 7/7 at the free throw line. His output reflected the broader team, as Biguá shot 19/22 at the charity stripe and had just 10 turnovers on the whole night.

That level of efficiency was hard to match for Quimsa, who led early in the second quarter and went down by a single point at the half.

The Argentinians got a stellar game from big man Fabián Ramírez (26 points on 10/16 from the field) but struggled defensively after intermission.

 

Ramírez scored 19 in the second half but both Eric Anderson and Brandon Robinson (15 points apiece) went cold, and center Kevin Hernández fouled out early, all but sealing their fate.

A win would've allowed Quimsa to punch their ticket to the Final 8 (and the first spot), but they still remain atop Group B with a 3-1 record.

As for Biguá, they got a badly needed victory to tie Minas at 1-2 before their crucial matchup on Wednesday.

Libertadores 106 – 90 Honey Badgers

Libertadores de Querétaro got back on track, quickly turning the page on Monday's loss to Real Estelí in order to handle Honey Badgers, 106-90, Tuesday night at Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua, Nicaragua.

After a back-and-forth affair in the first quarter that included several lead changes, Omar Quintero's squad took over the game and never looked back.

Their 28-15 second quarter gave the Mexican outfit the lead they needed, and they just went about administering it the rest of the way.

Branden Frazier was perfect from the floor and the free throw line in the first half and finished with 25 points to lead Libertadores.

He went 7/9 from downtown, proving once again why he's one of the top sharpshooters in the competition.

 

The experience and longevity of Libertadores' squad showed in every aspect of the matchup.

Paul Stoll, their 37-year-old point guard, scored a single point but dished 10 assists. The Mexican squad had 33 dimes on 37 made buckets, easily explaining the 54.4 percent they wound up shooting from the field.

Meanwhile, Juan Tello did more damage inside and out. The Colombian big man produced a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double (plus 2 assists, 2 steals and a block), including a pair of three-pointers.

 

Libertadores won both the battle in the paint (40-38) and shot 12/26 from behind the arc, with Víctor Liz (15 points) and Ismael Romero (13) also leaving their marks on the game.

Honey Badgers fought valiantly, getting within 7 points midway through the fourth quarter before Libertadores closed it on a 22-13 run.

Gelvis Solano had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

 

Joshua Ibarra and Steve Taylor Jr. (15 points and 8 rebounds apiece) led the way for the Canadians, while Jahvon Henry-Blair and Alexander Campbell added 12 and 11, respectively.

But in the end, their 18 turnovers and 25 personal fouls proved to be too costly against a team that looks to be a cut above.

With the win, Libertadores rose to the top of Group A with a 3-1 record, while Honey Badgers (0-3) remain the only winless team in the competition. The Canadians will try to notch that first victory on Wednesday against the host team, Real Estelí.

FIBA