BUENOS AIRES (DIRECTV Liga de las Américas 2018) — Brazil’s Mogi das Cruzes will not let the great opportunity pass of participating at Liga de las Américas 2018 and intend on reaching the Final Four, just as they did two years ago.

Their aspirations have a solid foundation, since the team showed in Group B —that played in Talca, Chile— a high competition level. But, they also have Shamell Stallworth, one of the tournament's outstanding figures, who is recognized by his limitless offensive power.

The American small forward, of 37-years of age, said that “it was very nice to be invited to play at Liga de las Américas. We deserved this because we were champions of the 2016 Liga Sudamericana and we couldn't let this chance pass. We have a good opportunity of getting to the Final Four, but it won't be easy.”

Although he acknowledges how difficult the first semi-final is, the reinforcement explained why Mogi looks forward to a good performance: “We already showed we're a strong team. We can play against anyone. We can make many mistakes, play a good first quarter, play the second one very badly and then recover. We showed we're a good team. Individually we have good players, with talent, and we also work as a team. That’ll always give us chances.”

However, Shamell Stallworth warns that the Paulista team cannot get distracted before their trip to Buenos Aires, where they are expected by San Lorenzo and Ferro (both from Argentina) and Mexico’s Fuerza Regia.

“To go to the Final Four, we have to be more focused on certain moments of the game to win. In the semi-finals round we will have a difficult group that won’t allow us to be careless. There won't be any more easy games,” he pointed out.

In a decisive stage such as the Semi-Final, the experience of Bauru's squad could make a difference. The small forward knows that this is a point in favor for his team, since “we played in Liga de las Américas in recent years, and some of us have played in five or six editions. We have experience as a team; both players and coaches. In the first phase we demonstrated our experience by being focused throughout every game, like, for example, against Paulistano, where we only lost by a point. Also against San Lorenzo, which we couldn’t defeat. Now they'll be the local team, but it was a good learning experience to face them. We know that we have chances of winning them.”

Although Mogi finished last in the most recent edition of the Brazil League and is currently in fourth place, they keep a team structure that always make them dangerous.

Shamell Stallworth has no doubt about it and assures, “we’ve always been competitive. With myself,Tyrone Curnell, Larry Taylor and Filipin together for so long, it’s something that makes us stronger. We have an intense chemistry. Besides, we have an experienced coach like Guerrinha. Changing some pieces around we kept our capability of competing at a high level and we've been showing this at Liga de las Américas as well.”

FIBA