Brazilians Bauru, Mogi Das Cruzes reach Final Four

MOGI DAS CRUZES (Liga Sudamericana) - All did not go according to plan for Rafael Hettsheimer at this summer’s FIBA Basketball World Cup with the Brazil center unable to prevent his national team from crashing out of the competition Quarter-Finals against Serbia.

But so far, so good for the Aracatuba-born pivot in the Liga Sudamericana with new club Bauru.

The 2.08m Hettsheimer, having spent the past few seasons in Spain’s top flight with CAI Zaragoza, Real Madrid and Unicaja Malaga, fired his Brazilian side into the Final Four with a master-class performance on Wednesday against Comunikt.

The big man wreaked havoc inside and outside, making 13 of 19 shots en route to a game-high 34 points as Bauru defeated the Ecuadorian outfit, 110-83.

Hettsheimer drilled three shots from the arc.

The game was tight at half-time with Bauru only on top, 56-52, but they blew the game wide open in the third quarter when outscoring the team from Ambato, 27-10.

The Liga Sudamericana is going to have a new champion, meanwhile, because in Wednesday’s second game, Group F hosts Mogi Das Cruzes thrashed Uniceub BRB, 92-70.

Captain Guilherme Filipin came off the bench to score 19 points for the home team. Filipin made five of six shots from long range.

Bauru and Mogi Das Cruzes each improved to 2-0 in Group F and punched their tickets to the Final Four, with Uniceub and Comunikt each falling to 0-2.

Bocas Juniors of Argentina and Malvin of Uruguay clinched the top two spots in Group E last week to reach the Final Four.

Bauru will take on Mogi Das Cruzes on Thursday in a battle for first place in Group F.

The Final Four is to be staged 25-26 November, with the host city to be announced soon.

FIBA