At the end of the afternoon this Wednesday (27) FlaBasquete beat Universo/Vitória for the second consecutive time in the series of friendly matches preparing for the first group stage of the South American, which starts next week. With a score of 74x70, point guard David Cubillan had a great performance in the third quarter and JP Batista was once again the top scorer of the game, with 15 points.

"They were two very important matches against Vitória, and I feel we're ready for the first phase of the South American League, which will be against very strong teams at the beginning," says Venezuelan point guard David Cubillan. He adds:

"As the days go by, it will be easier to get to know my teammates better and the team's game system, as they have a lot of new things for me. It's natural that it will take a little more time, but the coaching staff and my teammates are doing everything they can to make my adaptation easier," adds the number 8, who stood out in the third quarter with three consecutive three-pointers, finishing his participation with 14 points in total.

For coach José Neto, the objective of the friendlies was achieved.

"They were two very important games, but more than evaluating the victories, they served to evaluate our style of play. We're still testing the team. These were Henrique (Pilar)'s first two friendlies, who recently arrived, and both (MJ) Rhett and David (Cubillan) are still adapting to the team, so for all of that, I can say they were very important tests. We tested many fives, different formations that could be used during the match, so I can attest that it was very valuable," concludes Neto.

FlaBasquete will continue preparing for the international competition until Sunday (01), when it embarks for Colombia.