2015 South American League MVP Deryk Ramos recalls winning game in the final
The red-and-black point guard hopes to use his experience to help FlaBasquete reach the title
By Victor Cachoeira - inIf there's one player who knows the South American League very well, it's Deryk Ramos. FlaBasquete's number 9 has extensive experience in the tournament and boasts a title, won in 2015. At the time, playing for Brasília, the shooting guard was named MVP, his highlight being the game-winner in the final against San Martín. About to begin the semifinals wearing the Manto Sagrado, the Mais Querido's Official Website shared with the athlete some moments from this epic final.
In a tense game that was fought until the last second, Deryk detailed the turbulent start to the match and how it was possible to recover the score.
"The most important part of the game is keeping your head in it, and I remember we didn't start off on the best foot. We knew it would be very difficult, especially since it was a championship-ending game, and that made things much more difficult. The more patient and confident you are, and the more confident you believe you can win even after several bad moments, the easier things become. The final shot is the greatest proof of this. On the previous play, I had committed a foul, we were up by three points, and they converted three free throws and tied it. It was great proof that despite a mistake, you can correct it on the next play, which is exactly what happened with the game-winner," he explained.
One of the point guard's greatest merits in the play was his focus and concentration on a play that would determine the entire work, as highlighted by himself.
"Because it was the last shot, because I made the foul, I was very focused on the time. From the moment I shot, I looked at the time to celebrate. I was very focused, wanting that victory, that game, and when I saw that the time had expired, that's when I went out to celebrate with my teammates," he recalled.
Despite the result, the play was reviewed, and San Martin was given one last possession. Deryk highlighted this tense pre-title moment, crowned with his MVP award.
"First, because we were at their home ground, we needed to be patient. The referee, however impartial, can find things we don't. We thought time was up because the clock had run out, but they're in charge. When they reviewed the play and found a little more time, we realized we needed more defensive work. It was a simple positioning, as it was only a few seconds, and fortunately, everything worked out."
In the first phase of the South American tournament, Deryk was the club's second-highest scorer, averaging 14,3 points and 6 assists per game. In his debut against Libertad Sunchales, he had his best performance in this South American League, scoring 24 points, 18 of which were three-pointers. With this performance, the shooting guard became the player with the second most three-pointers made in a game this season.
Flamengo debuts this Tuesday (20), at 17:15 pm, against Instituto Córdoba (ARG), at Jeunesse Arena. Seeking a place in the final, the Pride of the Nation relies on the support of the fans to achieve victory and take another step on this international journey.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – thinkseg, 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 generated by the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.