In the first round of the second leg of the 2015/16 NBB, a repeat of the last final. Flamengo and Bauru met once again at the Tijuca Tênis Clube this Wednesday (January 13.01). And, while the São Paulo team won the first round of this NBB, in the match in Rio the results of the decisive clashes of 2015 were repeated. FlaBasquete made the most of the home advantage and, with the support of the Nation, defeated their opponents 85 to 69. The sixth consecutive victory in the competition puts the Mais Querido in second place, behind only Paulistano.

The match started extremely tight. Despite the blistering starts from Jerome and Jason Robinson, Bauru took the lead, and even when the Red-Blacks came from behind, they didn't give the home team any room to gain a lead. The first quarter ended tied at 17-17, with 10 of those Flamengo points scored by the American duo. In the second half, Flamengo began to show its true colors. Marquinhos took the court and, despite recovering from an illness, put on a show. He scored seven points in five minutes and led Flamengo's surge. The Red-Black Nation showed its strength and pushed for debutant Ronald Ramon, recently signed by Flamengo, to score his first three points for the Mais Querido. The match went into halftime with the score at 47-30 for the Mais Querido.

Bauru staged a comeback in the second half, but Flamengo didn't let any misfortune take over. With baskets from Gegê, Batista, Jason Robinson, and Rafael Mineiro, FlaBasquete opened up a 19-point lead, ending the half with a 66-47 lead. The final quarter was marked by beautiful dunks: Rafael Mineiro and Marquinhos dunked the ball with class. With three-pointers from Marcelinho, Rafa Luz, and Ronald Ramon, Flamengo held on to their advantage and ended the match with a solid victory in a classic against a direct rival: 85-69.

"It was a really good experience, being part of the team. I saw how the fans really welcomed everyone, I felt really good," said a happy Ronald Ramon after his debut in front of the Nation.

Winger Marquinhos, one of the most experienced on the team, praised the Pride of the Nation's defensive performance.

"Defensively, I saw a very aggressive Flamengo team; denying the passing lane, defending every ball. That's our biggest differentiator this season. Every time we play with this strong defense, it gives a huge boost to the attack. Up front, we knew how to distribute the ball, and there was always someone with the ability to convert the points," he analyzed.

FlaBasquete returns to the court next Saturday (16.01), against Franca, at the same Tijuca Tênis Clube. You can now secure your ticket to support the Mais Querido in its quest for another national title by clicking here. Come cheer on the Pride of the Nation!