The Mais Querido U-17 basketball team closed the first round of the State Championship in the best possible way this Saturday (12). The group led by coach Marcos Beegu won seven of the seven games played and finished in first place. Last week, the three games played by the Meninos da Gávea had positive outcomes against Tijuca, Botafogo and Jacarepaguá. 

 

On the 9th, the opponent was Tijuca Tênis Clube, and playing away from home, the red-and-black team won by a score of 68-35. Igor Souza was the standout for Mais Querido with 21 points. Magno (12 points) and Elias (12 points) also contributed positively to Mengão's attack. Defensively, FlaBasquete dominated the rebounding situations with strong performances from Ruan and Matheus Macaé. 

On the 11th, the match was against Botafogo, at General Severiano. With all the classic atmosphere, the red-and-blacks defeated the black-and-white team 77-69. With an incredible 26 points, Magno was the match's top scorer. With excellent long-range shooting, Igor Souza totaled 16 points and was one of Flamengo's weapons. Rounding out the excellent collective performance, Ruan (10 points and 9 rebounds) and João Vitor, known as Joãozinho (10 points), also had standout performances. 

Closing out the first half of the season on the 12th against Jacarepaguá, Flamengo once again achieved a strong result. Rotating the squad, the final score was 81-30, with a brilliant performance by Elias, who topped the scoreboard with 20 points. Anderson (12 points) and Felipe (11 points) also reached double digits, contributing to the victory.

The final result of the first half of the competition couldn't have been better, with a 100% record. The red-and-black team's unbeaten run stemmed from strong performances on the court, which culminated in a first-place finish. Following the State Championship, the Mais Querido will return to the court on May 20th, facing Comary in Teresópolis, at a time yet to be determined. 

The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – thinkseg, Estácio, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, and EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and the State Incentive Law/Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Sports, Recreation, and Youth (Seelje), in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources from the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.