"This has been a routine for our team. We haven't been able to get the whole team on the court yet. It's a time of overcoming. Everyone has to give a little more. The team was built to count on everyone, but in these moments, we have to surpass ourselves. That's what's been happening, and I hope it can happen again today."

Coach Paulo Chupeta asked, and his players delivered. Flamengo secured another victory in the 2010 New Basketball Brazil Championship on Friday night, defeating Franca 78-70 at the HSBC Arena. While the performance wasn't technically superb, once again, the team from Gávea managed to win with a lot of determination.

The first half was largely dominated by Flamengo. Flamengo and Franca are always a fiercely rivaled and evenly matched basketball classics, but in the first 20 minutes of the game this Friday, the home team absolutely dominated. After finishing the first quarter ahead 21-19, the team took off in the second. Led by centers Teichmann and Wagner, Flamengo opened up a 12-point lead and went into halftime leading 41-32.

After the locker room, however, the game took on a Flamengo-Franco feel. It became more evenly matched, with pressure on the referees, fouls... And when the game gets tough, Flamengo's number 4 always shines. He took the lead on offense, scoring 15 points in the third quarter, and was largely responsible for the team's 61-54 victory.

In the final quarter, Franca overtook Flamengo early on, but the lead alternated between the two teams until the final minutes. With just under two minutes remaining, Duda hit a decisive three-pointer, giving Flamengo a four-point lead. Then, all that was left was to manage the victory and close out the match at 78-70.