Flamengo confirms its favoritism, wins Liga Sorocabana and takes the lead
Marquinhos turns the game around and scores 27 points.
By Lucas Dantas - Flamengo Communications - in
Championship leader FlaBasquete took the court this Thursday looking to maintain its unbeaten streak at home, extend its lead in the standings, and confirm its excellent run. And everything went according to plan. The 82-67 victory against Liga Sorocabana was worthy of the team that had more balance on the court and managed to hold the lead in every quarter, in front of more than 1.700 fans at Arena Carioca 1. With 27 points, Marquinhos was the absolute standout of the game, which also featured Ramon (20 points/6 rebounds) and JP Batista (10 points/8 rebounds) as key players. The undisputed leader of the competition with 20 points and an 81.8% success rate (11 games, nine wins, two losses), Flamengo returns to the court on Sunday at noon, against Basquete Cearense, on the road.
The game
The first quarter started off well for FlaBasquete. Within the first few seconds, Marquinhos made his mark by storming the paint and scoring the first points of the night. But a scoreboard issue halted the game for 15 minutes. The second half felt like a replay. Marquinhos scored two more again. And the number 11, with a bright hand, added another, opening up a 6-0 lead. But what started out well didn't continue, and Liga Sorocabana closed the gap, eventually tying the score at 14-14. It was time to score and regain the lead, which Marquinhos, once again, did. With 12 points, the power forward was the main driver of the half's 19-16 victory.
The second quarter was more evenly matched, with both teams alternating the lead. It was Ramon's turn to shine. With 10 points, the point guard made the difference, especially on three-pointers, hitting two in a row, practically sealing the quarter at the end. The opponents continued to chase, but there was no time to close the gap, and Flamengo finished ahead 33-32.
The second half remained evenly balanced at the start. Marquinhos scored the first two points of the half, and the Liga tied the game and came back. Marquinhos' three-pointer put Flamengo back in front. JP was injured and left the court, making way for Olivinha. The Liga Sorocabana kept Flamengo from opening up a big lead, always remaining within five points at most. Pilar, in excellent form, scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds, playing a key role in the final 58-53 lead.
After leading the entire match, it was in the final quarter that Flamengo finally managed to pull away, opening up a nine-point lead, the largest since the first quarter, thanks to two consecutive attacks by JP Batista. With this advantage, the game's trajectory was decided in Flamengo's favor, as they managed to maintain their lead and increase their lead as time went on. With four minutes remaining, Pecos's three-pointer made it 70-59. Cubillan then raced down the court and found Marquinhos in the paint. The number 11 simply nodded, widening the lead. From then on, it was only a matter of time before another victory in Rio de Janeiro.
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.
The game
The first quarter started off well for FlaBasquete. Within the first few seconds, Marquinhos made his mark by storming the paint and scoring the first points of the night. But a scoreboard issue halted the game for 15 minutes. The second half felt like a replay. Marquinhos scored two more again. And the number 11, with a bright hand, added another, opening up a 6-0 lead. But what started out well didn't continue, and Liga Sorocabana closed the gap, eventually tying the score at 14-14. It was time to score and regain the lead, which Marquinhos, once again, did. With 12 points, the power forward was the main driver of the half's 19-16 victory.
The second quarter was more evenly matched, with both teams alternating the lead. It was Ramon's turn to shine. With 10 points, the point guard made the difference, especially on three-pointers, hitting two in a row, practically sealing the quarter at the end. The opponents continued to chase, but there was no time to close the gap, and Flamengo finished ahead 33-32.
The second half remained evenly balanced at the start. Marquinhos scored the first two points of the half, and the Liga tied the game and came back. Marquinhos' three-pointer put Flamengo back in front. JP was injured and left the court, making way for Olivinha. The Liga Sorocabana kept Flamengo from opening up a big lead, always remaining within five points at most. Pilar, in excellent form, scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds, playing a key role in the final 58-53 lead.
After leading the entire match, it was in the final quarter that Flamengo finally managed to pull away, opening up a nine-point lead, the largest since the first quarter, thanks to two consecutive attacks by JP Batista. With this advantage, the game's trajectory was decided in Flamengo's favor, as they managed to maintain their lead and increase their lead as time went on. With four minutes remaining, Pecos's three-pointer made it 70-59. Cubillan then raced down the court and found Marquinhos in the paint. The number 11 simply nodded, widening the lead. From then on, it was only a matter of time before another victory in Rio de Janeiro.
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.