Playing away from home in the NBB, FlaBasquete was defeated by São José by 82 to 64 this Tuesday (21), at the Lineu de Moura gym, in the interior of São Paulo. Now, Rubro-Negro will face Mogi das Cruzes, also away from home.  

1st Bedroom
Playing at home, São José took a two-point lead, but FlaBasquete quickly responded with Didi, who was fouled and converted two free throws. Hungarian Filipovity, enjoying a strong run with the Sacred Mantle, scored four more points in a row with two shots. The home team had a strong start to the game, building a healthy lead. On an individual play, Balbi drove into the paint, converted the points, and was also fouled, also making the bonus free throw. Strong on defense and with good offensive efficiency, São José closed the quarter with a 27-13 lead.

2st Bedroom
Early in the second quarter, Filipovity received a free kick on the perimeter and the ball fell. The Pride of the Nation showed signs of improved defense compared to the first period. As a result, São José had more trouble scoring. Didi, with a layup, scored two more for the red-and-black team. Gabriel Jaú received a free kick in the dead zone and scored three more points. The Most Beloved improved its performance in the period and went into halftime eleven points behind São José: 44 to 33.

3st Bedroom
In the third period, Didi hit a three-pointer for the red-and-black team. Diarra received an open ball in the paint and went in for the dunk. Gui Deodato received the ball in a good position and scored a three-pointer at a crucial moment. Meanwhile, São José continued to score on offense and maintain their lead: 66-47.

4st Bedroom
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Didi drove into the paint and converted two more for the red-and-black team, which came back with a strong rhythm to try to reverse the deficit. With good defensive play, FlaBasquete reduced São José's lead to 10 points with five minutes remaining. Despite the fightback, the Red-and-Black team couldn't maintain its momentum and ended up losing 82-64.

Next challenge
The Pride of the Nation returns to the court on Thursday (23) to face Mogi das Cruzes, at 20 pm, at the Professor Hugo Ramos gym, for the 10th round of the NBB.

Starting Quintet
Franco Balbi, Didi, Loku Cuello, Marko Filipovity and Gabriel Jaú.
Coach: Gustavo De Conti.