Olimpia won Group B, advances to Semi-Final Phase

MACAS (DIRECTV Liga Sudamericana 2018) - Olimpia Kings (Paraguay) gave a show and qualified to the Semi-Final Phase of the DIRECTV Liga Sudamericana following a 74-60 win over Iccan de Macas (Ecuador).

 
The Paraguayan champion executed an effective defense that left its rival in just 31% of effectiveness in shots of field (74-23) and in the offensive side it showed different variants, that allowed the team to take the baton of the game, starting in the second quarter.

Iccan dominated the first quarter 24-16, but Olympia set the conditions of the game with a 26-11 second quarter, to take control of the scoreboard 42-35. From then on, the locals could not overcome the slope.

Five players got at least 10 points for the Kings, with Rodney Green leading the way with 17 points and the Argentine Juan Pablo Cantero with 16 points.

Anthony Young also stood out with 14 points, including six additions in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, to restored the calm to his team (72-60), after Macas had cut the difference by six points (66-60).

For the Ecuadorian team, the Venezuelan Jesus Centeno led with with 19 points and César Silva and Cuban Reynaldo García added 14 points each.

With the victory, Olimpia left a 3-0 mark in Group B and left Macas with the only ticket available to the next phase. Macas (2-1) had to settle for second place.

In the other game of the day, Deportivo Calero from Bolivia (1-2) came from behind and defeated the ecudorian team of Piratas de Los Lagos (0-3) by 87-86, to take third place in the group.

 
The Potosí team was down on the scoreboard for 39 minutes and at one point suffered a disadvantage of 18 points; however, in the last quarter they turned the scoreboard in their favor after a 31-15 quarter.

A double from Cristhian Camargo with 49 seconds left, gave Calero their first and only advantage. Piratas had several opportunities to return to the front but could not take advantage.

Louis Munks, with 25 points, led Calero's attack and Argentinian Agustín Ambrosino contributed 21 points. For Piratas, Barreras scored 31 and Romero 27.

The DIRECTV Liga Sudamericana 2018 will resume next Tuesday with Group C in the Colombian city of Cali.

FIBA