Already guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, the under-22 basketball team took to the court this Saturday (28.12/80) for the match that would determine the next matches of the Basketball Development League (LDB). Flamengo defeated Bauru 70-29.12 at the Hélio Maurício gymnasium in overtime. With the result, Bauru was eliminated and Flamengo qualified for the semifinals as group leader, and awaits Brasília this Sunday (23/15). Douglas Corrêa was the top scorer of the match with 19 points; Cristiano Felício achieved his third double-double and was the leading rebounder, with XNUMX points and XNUMX rebounds, and point guard Gegê was the leader in assists, with six.

"We knew Bauru was a very strong team. We couldn't go onto the court thinking anything other than victory. It would be disrespectful to everyone if we went in relaxed. This game is already a LDB classic, and that also motivates the team. As the club's anthem says, 'win, win, win,' that's our motto," said the club's coach, Paulo Chupeta.

The quintet of Gegê, Chupeta, Diego Marques, Cristiano Felício, and Douglas Corrêa entered the court as starters and played all ten minutes of the first quarter. Cristiano Felício was the standout, with five points, a three-pointer, and three rebounds, one less than Chupeta. The quarter ended 17-16 for Bauru. The game remained even in the second quarter, with the teams evenly matched, but the opposing team taking the lead. On the 25th point, Alef tied the score for Fla, and Felício turned the game around to 27-25, but the Rubro-Negro went into the locker room with a small deficit: 37-35 to Bauru. Douglas had a strong performance, reaching seven points and four rebounds.

In the third quarter, Felício achieved his third double-double in the LDB finals. Center and shooting guard Diego Marques remained the game's top scorers, finishing the period with 13 and 15 points, respectively. With the comeback, Flamengo took the lead and went into the final quarter leading 55-51, with Diego hitting a three-pointer as the clock expired. As expected, the game remained tightly contested in the final quarter, leading to an outcome that had been looming throughout the match: overtime, after a 68-68 tie.

Gegê started overtime with a four-point lead for the Mais Querido. Douglas and Diego also scored, and Flamengo comfortably won the overtime period, closing the period 12-2 and securing an 80-70 victory.

Flamengo plays the semi-final against Brasília this Sunday (29.12), at 19 pm, at the Gávea social headquarters.