MIAMI (United States) – SESI Franca and Boca Juniors became the first teams to book their places in the Basketball Champions League Americas 2025–26 Final Four after closing out their Quarter-Finals series on Thursday. Franca (BRA) defeated Minas Tenis Clube (BRA) in the decisive Game 3, while Boca Juniors (ARG) completed a 2–0 sweep of Instituto (ARG). Here’s how the action unfolded:
SESI Franca 103 - 91 Minas Tenis Clube
SESI Franca sealed their Quarter-Finals series at home at Pedrocão Gymnasium, defeating Minas Tenis Clube 103–91. Franca will play in their third Final Four in BCL Americas history and second in a row. The team proved superior thanks largely to their production from beyond the arc (15 three-pointers in 38 attempts for 39.5 percent) and maintained control throughout the game. Luis Rodríguez Jr. caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 17 points to help Franca build a 19-point lead that essentially put the game away before the final stretch. The Panamanian finished as the game’s leading scorer with 27 points (a personal high in the competition), hitting 5 of 6 from three-point range while adding 4 rebounds. Lucas Dias once again shined for the winners with a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, along with 4 assists and 2 steals, for an efficiency rating of 36.
Minas committed 17 turnovers and exited the tournament despite strong performances from Americans Tim Frazier (23 points and 5 assists), Jordan Williams (18 points and 4 rebounds) and Erik McCree (17 points and 3 rebounds). SESI Franca will continue the quest for another title after winning the crown in Season 4 (2022–23). They will await the winner of the series between Nacional (URU) and Paisas (COL) in the Final Four.
Boca Juniors 75 - 68 Instituto
Boca Juniors completed their revenge by sweeping Instituto with a win at “La Bombonerita,” securing a spot in the Final Four for the second straight year. Head coach Nicolás Casalánguida’s squad avenged their recent loss to the Córdoba side in the Argentine Super Cup. The Xeneize team will have the chance to improve on last season’s runner-up finish in BCL Americas. They imposed rhythm in the second half. A 10–3 run with five minutes remaining in the third quarter extended the lead to 49–42, allowing Boca to keep Instituto under control the rest of the way. A three-pointer by Sebastián Vega with 1:50 left to play stretched the lead to 73–65 and proved decisive for Boca. Santiago Scala had a strong performance for the winners, finishing with 16 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds. He also became the 12th player to surpass 500 points in BCL Americas history (515).
Instituto’s Tomás Monacchi stood out with 20 points, his highest total in the competition, along with 7 rebounds. Boca’s opponent in the Final Four will come from the series between Astros de Jalisco (MEX) and Flamengo (BRA). The Brazilian club is the defending champion after defeating Boca in last season’s Final Game.
FIBA