TALCA (DIRECTV Liga de las Américas) - Group B of the eleventh edition of Liga de las Américas kicked off at the Talca Regional Gymnasium in Chile, in a day that fulfilled all expectations: there are teams in this that are indeed of a truly high level.

For the first game, San Lorenzo showed that their great objective this season is the continental competition. The Argentine team won Mogi 101-96 in a very balanced game that could only be determined in the last minutes. The game’s development was so even that there were 29 instances where the game’s leader changed, and 11 where they were tied.

The most outstanding player in Gonzalo García’s squad was Dar Tucker, one of his foreign reinforcements. The shooting guard scored 33 points, for 13 of 18 field goals, making him the game’s greatest scorer. Gabriel Deck’s contribution were very important too, with 18 points. San Lorenzo also did a lot of damage near the rim, with 56 points from the paint. For the Mogi side, Shamell demonstrated once again why he's one of the best players in the history of this competition, with 29 points (5 of 8 in triples).

Meanwhile, in the evening game, Paulistano suffered more than was expected to beat hosts Español, 94-82. After a completely favorable start for the Chilean team —who had a 15-point advantage— Paulistano recovered before halftime, with a 2-point advantage, and for the third-quarter's close they were able to manage an 11-point advantage.

In Gustavo De Conti’s team, there were 5 players with 10 or more points, most notably Deryk (18 points) and Fuller (15). The Paulistas also took advantage of their substitutes, who collaborated with 46 points, while the Chileans only made 27. For the local team, Albert Jackson was the highest scorer with 18 points, and also caused a lot of damage in the paint whenever he caught the ball near the rim.

For the second competition day of Group B, a decisive challenge between Brazilian teams awaits. Mogi will try to recover when playing against Paulistano, who not only won on the competition’s debut, but also bring a good streak of 11 uninterrupted wins in the Brazil League. For their part, San Lorenzo will try to consolidate as a Group leader when they face Español, who will once again have the support of their thunderous fans.