FIBA Basketball
ARG - Excellent Quinteros not enough to beat Gimnasia
BUENOS AIRES (Liga Nacional) - Gimnasia y Esgrima cruised into the semi-finals of the Argentinian Liga Nacional with a 3-1 series win over Boca Juniors. The Comodoro Rivadavia-based side won the crucial fourth encounter with Boca 84-74
BUENOS AIRES (Liga Nacional) - Gimnasia y Esgrima cruised into the semi-finals of the Argentinian Liga Nacional with a 3-1 series win over Boca Juniors.
The Comodoro Rivadavia-based side won the crucial fourth encounter with Boca 84-74 and will now meet reigning champions Ben Hur for a place in the final. Gimnasia y Esgrima were rarely in trouble against Boca, establishing a 26-21 lead after the first period and extending that to a 12-point difference at the midway point of the clash.
Boca, with their title dreams fading, hit back in the third period to reduce the gap to just four points but they were unable to carry that momentum through to the end of the game as Gimnasia y Esgrima eased away again in the final minutes.
The defeat was tough on Boca`s Argentinian international Paolo Quinteros as he claimed a game-high 27-point haul as well as hauling down eight rebounds and handing out three assists. Quinteros is pushing for a place in Sergio Hernandez's Argentina team for this year's FIBA World Championship. Gabriel Cocha paced the victors with 19 points, a tally that included three of five from three-point range.
The other two quarter-final ties are locked at 2-2 following Game Four victories for Regatas and Central Entrerriano.
Central Entrerriano beat Atenas 75-65 to level up their series, thanks mainly to a second-quarter blitz. Atenas established a six-point lead after the first period but Central Entrerriano blew that away in the second period, outscoring their opponents 27-12 to go 47-38 ahead at the break. In a topsy-turvy encounter, Atenas fought back after the interval and trimmed the home side`s lead to 57-54 heading into the final period.
Central Entrerriano, for whom Gabriel Diaz contributed team-highs in scoring (21) and rebounding (nine), checked their opponents` charge in the last quarter though to claim the win and set up a decider at Atenas` court in Cordoba on Wednesday.
"We think that playing at home is very important and I'm sure we`ll secure this series in Cordoba, with all our fans backing us as they have been doing since the beginning of the season," said Atenas coach Fabio Demti, whose leading player was Timothy Jones with 27 points and four rebounds. "Next Wednesday, I want my team to repeat most of what we did today and now we must take any risk. It's only one more night of effort to book a place in the semi-finals."
Regatas will travel to Libertad for their Game Five decider on Tuesday after levelling up their series with a hard-fought 78-75 victory in Game Four.
Gustavo Orona and Clarence Robinson scored 19 points apiece for triumphant Regatas while Robinson also hauled down 11 rebounds and handed out three assists.
For Libertad, who paid the price for a poor second quarter which they lost 29-14, Roberto Lopez was the star of the show with 25 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were team-highs.
By PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA
The Comodoro Rivadavia-based side won the crucial fourth encounter with Boca 84-74 and will now meet reigning champions Ben Hur for a place in the final. Gimnasia y Esgrima were rarely in trouble against Boca, establishing a 26-21 lead after the first period and extending that to a 12-point difference at the midway point of the clash.
Boca, with their title dreams fading, hit back in the third period to reduce the gap to just four points but they were unable to carry that momentum through to the end of the game as Gimnasia y Esgrima eased away again in the final minutes.
The defeat was tough on Boca`s Argentinian international Paolo Quinteros as he claimed a game-high 27-point haul as well as hauling down eight rebounds and handing out three assists. Quinteros is pushing for a place in Sergio Hernandez's Argentina team for this year's FIBA World Championship. Gabriel Cocha paced the victors with 19 points, a tally that included three of five from three-point range.
The other two quarter-final ties are locked at 2-2 following Game Four victories for Regatas and Central Entrerriano.
Central Entrerriano beat Atenas 75-65 to level up their series, thanks mainly to a second-quarter blitz. Atenas established a six-point lead after the first period but Central Entrerriano blew that away in the second period, outscoring their opponents 27-12 to go 47-38 ahead at the break. In a topsy-turvy encounter, Atenas fought back after the interval and trimmed the home side`s lead to 57-54 heading into the final period.
Central Entrerriano, for whom Gabriel Diaz contributed team-highs in scoring (21) and rebounding (nine), checked their opponents` charge in the last quarter though to claim the win and set up a decider at Atenas` court in Cordoba on Wednesday.
"We think that playing at home is very important and I'm sure we`ll secure this series in Cordoba, with all our fans backing us as they have been doing since the beginning of the season," said Atenas coach Fabio Demti, whose leading player was Timothy Jones with 27 points and four rebounds. "Next Wednesday, I want my team to repeat most of what we did today and now we must take any risk. It's only one more night of effort to book a place in the semi-finals."
Regatas will travel to Libertad for their Game Five decider on Tuesday after levelling up their series with a hard-fought 78-75 victory in Game Four.
Gustavo Orona and Clarence Robinson scored 19 points apiece for triumphant Regatas while Robinson also hauled down 11 rebounds and handed out three assists.
For Libertad, who paid the price for a poor second quarter which they lost 29-14, Roberto Lopez was the star of the show with 25 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were team-highs.
By PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA