BUENOS AIRES (Argentina) – The Basketball Champions League Americas will have a new champion. Boca Juniors (ARG) delivered a dominant performance on home floor at the Final Four being played at Estadio Obras Sanitarias, defeating reigning champion Flamengo (BRA) 81-58 in the Semi-Finals to avenge last season’s Final loss. The Xeneize club will play for the title for the second consecutive season and this time will seek their first championship against SESI Franca (BRA), which defeated Nacional (URU) in the other Semi-Final.
Turning point
Boca hit the gas from the opening minute and controlled the game from start to finish. The team opened with a 15–2 run, took the first quarter 19–9, and then increased the lead in every period against a frustrated Flamengo side that lost every major statistical category.
Player of the game
Michael Smith and Martín Cuello scored 16 points each for Boca, while Agustín Barreiro (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Francisco Cáffaro (12 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles.
Flamengo recorded the lowest scoring output in their BCL Americas history and shot just 30.1 percent from the field. Only Gui Deodato reached double figures with 15 points. Shaquille Johnson finished with just 5 points, his lowest total in 42 games in the competition.
Stats don’t lie
In the first half, the hosts did not commit a single turnover. Meanwhile, Flamengo coughed the ball up nine times, allowing Boca to dominate points off turnovers 15–0 over the opening 20 minutes and take a 44–27 lead into halftime. By the end of the game, the Argentine side won that category 23–8. Boca also led 23–11 in fast-break points, 42–26 in points in the paint, and held a significant edge in assists, 19–9.
Bottom line
Boca Juniors and SESI Franca will meet in Saturday’s Grand Final (9:40 p.m. local time). They have never faced each other in BCL Americas play. However, they have met three times in the South American Club League, with the Brazilian side holding a 2–1 edge. Those matchups took place once in 2000 and twice in 2010. Boca is seeking their first BCL Americas title and second medal after last year’s silver. Franca is chasing their second star and third medal after winning bronze in the previous edition.
Flamengo and Nacional will play for third place (5:40 p.m. local time). The Mengão owns two titles and three silver medals in tournament history. Nacional will try to become the second Uruguayan team to reach the podium after Biguá’s silver medal in Season 3. FIBA