GUADALAJARA (Mexico) – Flamengo remain firmly on track in their title defense. The reigning Basketball Champions League Americas champion, defeated Astros de Jalisco 77-75 on Friday at Arena Astros in Guadalajara to complete a 2–0 sweep of the Quarter-Finals series and secure a place in the Final Four.
The Brazilian side will face Boca Juniors (ARG) in the Semi-Finals in a rematch of last season’s Final and will also be aiming for their third title in seven appearances in the competition.
Before facing Flamengo, Astros were undefeated with a 6–0 record in the previous stage and had broken several offensive records, making them the early favorite in the matchup.
Turning point
Flamengo held a nine-point lead (73–64) with 1:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, but with 8.8 seconds left, Yoanki Mencia tied the game with a basket. Head coach Sergio “Oveja” Hernández then called a timeout and drew up the winning play for Álex Negrete.
The shooting guard took the ball, attacked the rim and, while falling, converted the decisive basket with 3.3 seconds on the clock. Immediately afterward, on the other end of the floor, Karim Rodríguez had a chance to extend the series by another day but missed a three-point attempt.
Player of the game
Álex Negrete’s late basket not only prevented the game from going to overtime but also avoided the possibility of his team having to play a decisive third game on Saturday.
The Argentine finished with 12 points (6 in the first quarter and 6 in the fourth), 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Coming off the bench, he played 21 minutes and constantly challenged the opposing defense when attacking the basket.
Flamengo’s leading scorer was Gui Deodato with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Shaquille Johnson added 13. Only three players reached double figures for the winners.
Trey Burke shined for Astros with 27 points. The former NBA guard kept his team alive until the final seconds, scoring 13 points down the stretch, including eight in less than a minute. Burke also finished with six three-pointers, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.
His teammate Yoanki Mencia recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds plus 1 block, while Tyran De Lattibeaudiere added 9 points and 9 boards.
Stats don’t lie
Flamengo’s depth proved decisive, as the bench contributed 37 points. Negrete led the way, supported by Lucas Robinson with 8 points. In contrast, Astros received just 14 points from their bench players and only one in the second half.
Bottom line
Flamengo entered the Playoffs on a three-game losing streak, but after two consecutive victories they became the first team to reach 50 wins in the competition.
With his 13 points, Shaquille Johnson reached 611 career points, becoming the sixth player in BCL Americas history to surpass the 600-point mark. FIBA