The match between Flamengo and Bauru has already become a classic in the Basketball Development League. And this Friday (August 02.08), the team that came out on top in this great match was the "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved). Leading scorer Douglas, with 25 points and eight rebounds, and point guard Gegê led the team to a 78-57 victory in São José dos Campos, São Paulo. The match, valid for the second stage of the LDB, marked the 12th consecutive victory for coach Paulo Chupeta's team in the competition.

"Bauru is a traditional opponent. They started out playing with everything in the first two quarters, but we maintained our focus and balance. In the second half, we imposed ourselves and opened up a good lead. We got the kids playing, locked down defensively, and made the game easy," explained the red-and-black coach.

The rivalry between the two teams stems from their clashes in the first two editions of the LDB. In the first, the Red-Blacks defeated Bauru in the final and were crowned champions. In the second edition, the "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved) fell in the semifinals to the São Paulo team, which went on to win the title. Today, in São José dos Campos, Flamengo prevailed, and Gegê once again excelled in creating the plays.

"The game was good and the whole team played well. We were prepared for this classic. The match was tight, but we opened up a good lead at the end and came out victorious," said Gegê. The point guard scored 12 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds. It was a stellar performance from the player, who would have had a triple-double if he had grabbed one more rebound.

With today's result, Flamengo remains tied for first place in the LDB qualifying round with Minas Gerais. Paulo Chupeta's team's next challenge will be against Franca, again in São José dos Campos, this Saturday.