Even playing away from home, Flamengo put on a show and enjoyed the support of the red-and-black fans in the northeast at the Paulo Sarasat Gymnasium. The 101-80 victory against Basquete Cearense was not only a victory for the team, but also for coach José Neto's team playing well again. And with a full gymnasium.

"The most important thing about playing here was seeing the fans fill the gym. I really didn't expect it to be so packed. It was one of the most sold-out games so far, and the only thing that benefits is Brazilian basketball," said shooting guard Benite. He led all scorers with 29 points.

With a more solid defense after the mistakes against Brasília, the Rubro-Negro played with a renewed style with Caio, Marquinhos, and Benite on a great afternoon. In the first quarter, Basquete Cearense saw their opponents take a 20-8 lead to chants of "Mengo." The advantage held until the final quarter, when the home team improved but couldn't cope with the more solid play of the Rubro-Negro.

"Today's game wasn't a scoreboard game. Of course, the victory was very important, but what really matters is seeing this arena packed like it was. This is a credit to Brazilian basketball, and I hope the sport continues to grow like this," praised coach José Neto. Admission to the stadium was free, with the public being required to bring 1 kg of food. The organizers collected eight tons from the nine thousand fans in attendance.

Flamengo plays against Mogi on Monday (4.03). They need to keep winning to enter the playoffs strong.

Points per Room:
Ceará Basketball (80) x (101)Flamengo
1nd - 8 x 20
2rd - 22 x 33
3rd - 22 x 27
4rd - 30 x 21