Flamengo is qualified for the next stage of the Champions League! On Friday night (13), the Pride of the Nation beat Valdivia, away from home, by 92 to 79, and secured an early place in the playoff of the most important competition on the continent. The top scorer of the match was winger Marquinhos, with 15 points, but the team also had other highlights. It was a great collective performance.

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THE DEPARTURE

Gustavo De Conti's men showed their credentials right away with a beautiful hook shot from Olivinha and a three-pointer from point guard Franco Balbi. The Argentine, in fact, was crucial in the first period. He knew how to pace the game, distribute the ball, and score when needed. Deryk Ramos, a solid performer off the bench, scored four consecutive points to make it 23-18.

In the second period, Mengão pressed harder and began to neutralize the opponent's plays. With an intense attack, the team began to manage and maintain a comfortable lead. Marquinhos and Olivinha, highly inspired, were the key players. At the end of the halftime clock, the score was 46-38.

The result solidified in the third quarter. The scoring gap widened with the introduction of Eloy Vargas, who gave no one a chance in the paint. Scoring well from the perimeter and abusing counterattacks, FlaBasquete surged into the lead: 75-55.

Then it was just a matter of managing, but without letting up. Valdivia tried to fight back, but they were met by the team's strength. At no point did the players relax their defense or relax. Thus, the final result could not have been any different: a 92-79 victory and a guaranteed spot in the next round of the Champions League.

And now?

The Most Beloved returns to the court next Monday (16), at 20 pm, against São José, at the Tijuca Tênis Clube gym. The duel will be valid for the NBB 12 and the tickets are now on sale.

The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – BRB, TIM, 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 generated by the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.