BUENOS AIRES (Argentina) – Paulistano made history on Saturday by becoming the first champions of the Youth Basketball Champions League Americas (Youth BCL Americas). The Brazilian team defeated hosts Obras 74-69 in a Final that remained in the balance until the closing seconds.
The title capped an undefeated run for Paulistano, which finished with a 4-0 record. The Brazilian team opened their Group Phase campaign with a win over Academy of Central Florida (USA), then defeated Defensor Sporting (URU) before closing the stage with a victory over Obras. The Brazilians faced the Argentine side again in the championship game and came out on top to claim the inaugural title. In the Final, Pietro Melo once again took center stage, leading Paulistano with 23 points and 5 rebounds. Lucas Bertato also delivered a standout performance, contributing 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the Brazilian team complete the historic title run.
Melo’s performances throughout the competition also earned him the Most Valuable Player award. The point guard headlined the All-Star Five, alongside teammate Bertato, Obras player Luka Garcia, Uruguay’s Manuel Pastrana of Defensor Sporting and Canadian Lilian Tchabo of Academy of Central Florida. Obras capped an impressive campaign with the silver medal. The hosts went toe-to-toe in the Final and remained in contention until the final stretch. Defensor Sporting took bronze. The Uruguayan team bounced back from their Group Phase defeat and got revenge against Academy of Central Florida with a 61-58 win in the third-place game, securing a spot on the podium.
Final Standings
1. Paulistano 2. Obras 3. Defensor Sporting 4. Academy of Central Florida
FIBA