Marquinhos shines, Varejão scores a double-double and Flamengo beats Basquete Cearense
Rubro-negros debuted on the right foot away from home in Novo Basquete Brasil
By Mariana Sa - inTime to start over. With a new squad, a new momentum and the same desire as always, Flamengo went to Fortaleza to face Basquete Cearense this Saturday (13). Marquinhos' great performance and Varejão's double-double, in addition to great performances from the group, gave the victory to Mais Querido, who won by 73 to 54.
The match began with a fiercely contested scoreboard. Basquete Cearense took advantage of home advantage to force good shots on Flamengo, who responded in kind. Despite the home team's insistence, Flamengo emerged victorious, 23-17, at the end of the game.
The second period was better for Mais Querido. The team managed to make more shots and had strong performances from Jhonatan Luz and Franco Balbi, as well as top scorer Marquinhos. This gave the Rio de Janeiro team a good lead and closed the first half with a score of 39-26.
The second half was a lively affair. Flamengo put on a great collective performance and managed to pull ahead a bit further. On the other side, Cearense put up a tough fight and had the support of their fans, but they couldn't stop Marquinhos, Balbi, and Varejão, who put in excellent performances and kept Flamengo ahead 53-39. The final quarter was a red-and-black affair. The team simply ran out the clock and held on to the lead, further improving their numbers and closing out the match with a solid 73-54 score.
The next match will be on Monday (15), at 20pm, against Brasília at the Nilson Nelson gym.
Match Highlights:
Marquinhos - 21 points
Jhonatan Luz - 15 points
Varejão - 12 points and 11 rebounds
Nesbitt - 7 points and 8 rebounds
Balbi - 6 points and 6 assists
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – thinkseg, Estácio, 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 from the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.