Playing at home, Flamengo beat Niterói 80-63 in the second leg of the State Championship
Leron Black was the highlight of the game with 14 points and eight rebounds
By Romulo Paranhos - inNIn the opening match of the second round of the State Championship, FlaBasquete beat Niterói 80-63 on Wednesday night (11), at the Hélio Maurício gymnasium, in Gávea. The red-black coach Gustavo De Conti gave the red-black team some experience and put the young players on the court, who did well and got the job done. Leron Black, one of the most experienced on the court, scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, being the highlight of the match.
The first quarter started off evenly matched in the opening minutes, with both teams scoring. Gradually, Mengão's technical difference became apparent, increasing their lead, which ended 30-19 for Fla. Highlights included Leron Black, with 10 points in the first quarter, and Zach, accurate with three-pointers. In the second quarter, the Mais Querido loosened up even more, opening up a significant lead. For several minutes, both teams remained level on the scoreboard, with Niterói committing fouls to contain Mengão's offensive momentum. Even so, the second quarter ended 51-38 for the Rubro-N.egre.
The third quarter began with numerous changes to the starting five. Gustavo De Conti, Mais Querido's coach, rotated the team and gave opportunities to the young players from the youth academy. Niterói took advantage of the red-and-blacks' lack of chemistry to close the gap. Even so, Mengão finished with a 63-54 lead. In the final quarter, Flamengo kept the young players on the court, who performed well with excellent plays that quickly transitioned from defense to offense. And with that, Mais Querido secured another important victory, 80-63.
Rubro-negro coach Gustavo De Conti commented on the performance of Leron Black, the top scorer of the match, and also projected the duel next Friday (13) against Botafogo.
"We're trying to have an offensive system that maximizes all our players, and he's also adept at playing this type of game. So, we hope Leron and the other players can increasingly adapt to this system. The match against Botafogo will be a big one, a decisive duel to determine who will have home court advantage in the playoffs. So, we'll prepare ourselves in the best way possible to seek victory," said Gustavinho.
FlaBasquete faces Botafogo next Friday (13), at 20 pm, at Tijuca Tênis Clube.
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.