BUENOS AIRES (Argentina) – SESI Franca (BRA) will compete for their second Basketball Champions League Americas title after defeating Nacional (URU) 83-71 and handing the Uruguayan club their first loss of the season in the opening Semi-Final of the Final Four, which tipped off Friday at Estadio Obras Sanitarias in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Brazilian club previously lifted the trophy in the 2022–23 season and also won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. They will now try to join Quimsa (ARG) and Flamengo (BRA) as the teams with the most BCL Americas titles, with two each. The team’s opponent in the Grand Final will be the winner of the other matchup between Boca Juniors (ARG) and Flamengo (BRA).
Turning point
Franca’s defense proved decisive by holding Nacional to just three points at the start of the fourth quarter. That allowed the Brazilians to put together a 16–3 run stretching from late in the third period to take a 76–62 lead with exactly 5:00 remaining. After that stretch, Nacional looked shaken, while Franca stayed in full control and even had the luxury of closing the game with the deepest part of their bench.
Player of the game
Franca veterans and franchise cornerstones Georginho De Paula and Lucas Dias led the offense. De Paula scored 18 points to reach 502 career points in the competition, while also contributing 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal. Dias added 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists (101 career in BCL Americas) and 2 blocks.
David Jackson, another longtime pillar of the organization, and Corderro Bennett also chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Nacional entered the game with an 8–0 record this season. Ernesto Oglivie led the scoring with 14 points. Erik Thomas (9 rebounds) and James Feldeine followed with 11 each, while Connor Zinaich, who had been one of the tournament’s top performers, finished well below his 19.0-point average with only 7.
Stats don’t lie
Nacional struggled with ball security, wasting 19 possessions, and Franca capitalized by dominating points off turnovers 28–11. The Uruguayan side stayed competitive by winning second-chance points 18–8, but it was not enough.
Bottom line
After finishing third last year, Franca now has the chance to repeat what it accomplished in the 2022–23 season. From that championship roster, Dias, De Paula, Jackson, Paulo Barbosa and head coach Helinho Rubens remain with the club. Rafa Mineiro and Bennett were also previous champions with Flamengo (2021) and São Paulo (2021–22), respectively. FIBA