The match was evenly matched in the first 10 minutes, but the rest of the match saw poor performance. Despite running and fighting hard in a difficult match against Franca, the team was defeated at Tijuca Tênis Clube.

O JOGO

The match was well-paced and evenly balanced in its opening moments. Cuello scored the Mais Querido's first two points of the game. After Rafael Mineiro blocked the ball, Flamengo went on the attack and converted their first three-pointer, tying the score at 08-08. In the final seconds, Vildoza found a good pass to Mineiro, who scored two more points, and the first 10 minutes ended 14-19, following strong counterattacks by the visiting team. 

As the second quarter began, Mengão's shooting performance dropped, and Franca opened up a slight lead. Midway through the quarter, Gustavo De Conti called a timeout to regroup. The team came back stronger, looking to attack more and moving the ball better. Finally, Jaú converted his first goal. Soon after, Vildoza scored a three-pointer, and the crowd at Tijuca Tênis Clube cheered along. With another beautiful three-pointer from the number 11, Mengão reduced the lead, finishing with 36 points for Franca and 24 for Flamengo. 

Early in the second half, Mineiro scores the first two points on two free throws. But on a quick counterattack, Franca also scores two points, bringing the lead back to 12. Vildoza charges into the paint, spins, and scores two more, the number 11's tenth point of the game. With a beautiful three-pointer from Rafael Mineiro, Mineiro closes in and cuts the lead to just 5 points. 

After periods of slumping, the team was in a slump. Mineiro scored both points and was fouled. The number 12 scored another point from the free throw. The third quarter ended with Flamengo just eight points behind Franca.

The final quarter began with a very even game, with few points from either team. Franca was the dominant force, while Flamengo tried to move the ball quickly to create more open shots. With two consecutive three-pointers from Vildoza and Cuello, Flamengo cut the lead back to five points, and the crowd went wild. Halting Mengão's surge, Franca counterattacked and scored two points, bringing the score to 50-57 with less than four minutes remaining. A slow finish to the game, Flamengo was defeated by Franca 69-59.

Starting Quintet

Penka Aguirre, Gui Deodato, Cuello, Gabriel Jaú and Mineiro

Coach: Gustavo De Conti

Next appointment

FlaBasquete returns to the court for the NBB on January 8, 2023, again at Tijuca Tênis Clube, for the duel with Pato Basquete, at 17 pm.