The second stage of the Champions League of the Americas couldn't have started better. On Friday night (13), FlaBasquete was overwhelming at Tijuca Tênis Clube and beat Peñarol by a large margin: 103 to 47. Luke Martínez, inspired, led the show. The Pride of the Nation hit 22 three-pointers in the match - a historic number -, in contrast to the 13 shots made from inside the paint.

Highlights

Luke Martínez - 23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Gabriel Jaú - 14 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists
Vildoa - 11 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists

The Game

Peñarol opened the scoring, but Uruguay's lead was short-lived: it lasted just 25 seconds before Luke Martínez hit a basket from outside the paint. The three points put the Pride of the Nation ahead and served as a harbinger of the Mexican's spectacular performance. In the first quarter alone, they scored five long-range baskets. The Most Beloved went into the first break leading 29-10.

The second quarter began with the opponent scoring more, but the Flamengo lead never diminished below 11 points. Flamengo continued to excel in three-point shooting. Martínez scored twice more, and Gui Deodato, three. The Pride of the Nation had an important advantage in this type of play: before halftime, 15 of the Flamengo's 19 points in this period were scored on three-pointers. In the first half, the Most Beloved made 12 shots from long range and only five from inside the paint.

The match reached halfway with the score showing 48 to 32 for FlaBasquete.

After halftime, the red-and-blacks remained on top of the game – the first eleven points of the half were scored by the red-and-blacks. At the turn of the first minute, Vildoza scored five points, capitalizing on Peñarol's defensive lapses. Luke Martínez continued the show and, three minutes in, dribbled beautifully and delivered a beautiful chipped pass to Olivinha, who only missed the assist because he was fouled. Gabriel Jaú showed his quality by reaching ten rebounds in the third quarter, also achieving a double-double. The score was a resounding 29-6 for Peñarol.

With a 45-point lead early in the second half, it was expected that the red-and-black team's momentum would slow down—a scenario that didn't materialize. They scored 11 points in three minutes, and the red-and-black dominance continued to grow. The red-and-black team's performance propelled the Mais Querido team past the 100-point barrier and to a victory with more than double Peñarol's points. 

Next appointment

On Sunday (15), FlaBasquete returns to the court to face Instituto Córdoba-ARG. The match is very important - in the first phase, the Argentine team came out victorious and now we have the opportunity to reverse the disadvantage. Click here, guarantee your ticket and support the Mais Querido at Tijuca Tênis Clube!

Initial Quintet

Vildoza, Gui Deodato, Luke Martinez, Olivinha, Rafael Mineiro

Tech.: Gustavo De Conti