CORRIENTES (DIRECTV Liga de las Américas) - The day finally came. At last, we knew another two teams qualified for the semi-finals phase of the eleventh edition of Liga de las Américas: Regatas Corrientes and Estudiantes de Concordia. The hosts finished without a single loss, for a 3-0 record, while the Entre Ríos side moved forward with 2 victories and 1 defeat.

At the beginning of the last day of this group, Estudiantes took the first step needed to obtain their ticket by defeating Hebraica Macabi, 71-54. Lucas Victoriano’s team had a wavering start and couldn't impose their game style until the second quarter. Then, a good defense and a smart offensive started to dominate the action and later, the result, on their way to triumph. Of course, this win wasn't enough, and they had to wait and see the result of the second game of the day.

For the winning side, once again Anthony Smith and Clay Tucker were the most outstanding, with 16 and 12 points respectively. However, an unexpected scorer appeared: Emilio Domínguez, who achieved 13 points (5 of 5 in doubles). Estudiantes were more efficient in the fast breaks (23 points to 8) and in the contributions by substitutes (30 to 16). For Hebraica, Michael Hicks was the outstanding scorer, with 13 points.

During the second game of the day, Regatas overpowered Leones de Ponce 90-76 and sealed their undoubted qualification. The victory by Gabriel Picatto's squad was more complicated than what the score reflects, since the Puerto Ricans battled hard for more than three quarters. It was only in the last quarter when Regatas could show off a wide difference, with several young players on the court.

The Corrientes team's symbol, Paolo Quinteros, was the greatest scorer of the game, with 20 points. He was very well complimented by two foreign reinforcements: Harris (16) and Fitch (13). Regatas passed the ball better, with 24 assists; while their rivals achieved 14. They also had a wider team, with 35 points scored by their substitutes, while the Boricuas only scored 16. For Ponce, Ángel Vassallo was in the spotlight once again, after scoring 15 points.

Like this, Regatas Corrientes and Estudiantes de Concordia joined the other four teams that had already qualified for Semi-Finals: Ferro, Fuerza Regia, San Lorenzo and Mogi. The first phase of Liga de las Américas will end on Friday, February 9 in the city of Baurú, Brazil, and will count on the participation of hosts Baurú; twice-champions Guaros de Lara, from Venezuela; Correcaminos de Colón, from Panama; and Salvador BC, from El Salvador.