MIAMI (United States) – On Monday, Minas and Flamengo played their last Group Stage games, both clinching new victories in the BCL Americas. Both teams entered the day already qualified for the Quarterfinals, as leaders of their respective groups. Here’s the day’s highlights:
Minas 81 – 77 Biguá
Minas (6-0) closed the Group Phase with a perfect record, securing a hard-fought win over Biguá (1-5) in the final game of Group C at the Arena Minas Tênis Clube in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It was a tightly contested battle featuring 20 lead changes, ultimately decided in the closing moments. With eight seconds remaining, Danilo Fuzaro sank two free throws to give Minas a 3-point lead (80-77). Biguá had a chance to tie the game, but Vinicius De Oliveira missed a three-pointer. On the other end, Fuzaro sealed the victory by making one of two free throws. Yuri Elias led the way for the home team with 21 points, shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Big man Alexandre Paranhos contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Minas’ dominance on the offensive glass proved to be the key difference. They grabbed 18 offensive rebounds compared to Biguá’s 7, leading to a 24-5 advantage in second-chance points. For Biguá, which dropped five straight games after winning its season opener, De Oliveira led the scoring with 16 points. Leandro Cerminato (13), Thiago Rodríguez (12), Juan Tello (11), and Juan Ducasse (10) also finished in double figures.
Flamengo 110 – 65 Toros de Chiriquí
Flamengo (5-1) had no trouble at all, dominating from start to finish against Toros de Chiriquí (0-5) in a Group B matchup, played at the Héctor Etchart Gymnasium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Brazilian team was superior in every category, with all 11 available players contributing to the score.
Jordan Williams stood out with 19 points, 5 three-pointers, and 8 rebounds, while Ruan Miranda and Tayavek Gallizzi each scored 18 points. Guilherme Deodato and Lucas Siewert added 11 points apiece, and point guard Franco Balbi recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists. The 16-year-old Johnny Murillo was the top scorer for Toros in just 11 minutes of play, alongside Guillermo Navarro, with both scoring 11 points. José Lloreda and Roberto Armstrong each followed with 10 points. On Tuesday, the Group Stage concludes with the matchup between Boca Juniors and Toros.
FIBA