FRANKFURT (FIBA Intercontinental Cup) - Defending Liga de las Americas champions Guaros de Lara have defeated FIBA Europe Cup champions Fraport Skyliners 74-69 in front of a sold-out Fraport Arena on Sunday afternoon.

5,002 fans packed out Fraport Arena in the German financial capital and were treated to a thrilling encounter, however it was the Venezuelan visitors walking away with the silverware, taking it back to the Americas, following a one-year stay in Europe in the trophy cabinet of Real Madrid.

Turning Point: In a tight encounter that featured nine lead changes, the telling moment came in the final minute of the game when a Zachary Graham lay-up was followed by a Heissler Guillent three, opening a six-point buffer (70-64) that proved too much for the Skyliners to pull back, despite twice coming within a basket of tying it up.

Stats-Don't-Lie: Skyliners were made to pay for their hard play, sending Guaros de Lara to the charity stripe 23 times, where the visitors converted 20 of their chances. In comparison, the home side only managed 6-of-9.

Game Hero: American Graham was a worthy recipient of the MVP accolades, producing a game-high 19 points, including a clutch pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining, taking the lead back out to five points (72-67) to effectively ice the game.

FIBA