BELO HORIZONTE (Brazil) – Boca Juniors put together a 25–13 run in the final period to defeat Minas Tenis Clube 77-67 and secure first place in Group C of the Basketball Champions League Americas. Both teams entered the game already qualified for the Quarter-Finals, but first place in the group was still on the line. The Argentine club is the reigning runners-up in the competition, and showed great character by prevailing on the road, under new head coach Nicolás Casalánguida. He made his debut at this decisive stage of the Group Phase.
Turning point
A three-pointer by Sebastián Vega at the buzzer to end the third quarter pulled Boca within two points (54–52) heading into the final 10 minutes. That shot shifted the momentum, and Boca opened the fourth quarter with a 13–2 run to take a 65–56 lead with 5:57 remaining. From there, los Xeneizes protected the advantage, and Martín Cuello sealed the win with a layup inside to extend the margin to 73–65 with 1:46 left on the clock.
Player of the game
Agustín Barreiro anchored Boca Juniors on both ends of the floor, posting a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with 2 assists. The forward led all players with an efficiency rating of 22.
Michael Smith added 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Wayne Langston chipped in 14 points. Franco Giorgetti grabbed 10 rebounds, while Lucas Faggiano handed out 8 assists for the winning team. Center Francisco Cáffaro was unavailable after suffering a sprained right ankle the previous day. For Minas, Danilo Fuzaro led the team with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Erik McCree followed with 12 points and 9 rebounds, while Wini Braga finished with 10 points.
Stats don’t lie
Boca’s defense limited Minas to just 31 percent shooting from the field (22-of-70), while the Argentine side shot 44 percent (28-of-63). Transition offense proved decisive, as Boca held a 21–8 advantage in fast-break points.
Bottom line
With the win, Boca Juniors (4-2) matched Minas’s record (4-2) in Group C but finished ahead by winning the head-to-head series 2–1. Both teams will now await the outcome of Group D, where SESI Franca (BRA) and Instituto (ARG) are battling for the top spot to learn their Quarter-Finals opponents. FIBA