2017 Liga Sudamericana Final Full Report
After an exceptional tournament, it was only fitting that the final of the 2017 Liga Sudamericana be as exciting, tense and contentious, with everyone playing their best basketball, as all the games that had come before.
The best-of-five series was to be contested by Guaros de Lara of Venezeula and Estudiantes Concordia from Argentina. Guaros were the favourites, and had a point to prove having scored some big wins in recent times, but Concordia had played great basketball to make the final and were poised for an upset here.
Beginning in the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto, game one saw the teams evenly matched. There was no more than four points between the sides up until mid-way through the third quarter, when Guaros went on a seven-point run to put themselves in the lead by nine. Concordia fought back with confident interior play and six points from beyond the arc, putting themselves ahead by one. A layup from Diego Garcia saw Guaros lead at the end of the third quarter, and in the final quarter Guaros took their biggest lead of the game at twelve points.
Despite the result looking beyond doubt, Concordia did not panic and slowly got themselves back to within contention. With less than fifteen seconds left, three-pointers from Alejandro Zurbriggen and Lenadro Vildoza put Concordia behind by just one point, but a final jump shot from Luis Bethelmy of Guaros put an end to proceedings in their favour. Guaros took first blood in this finals series.
In game two, Concordia's close range play gave them an early advantage, but Guaros were the more dominant side in the second quarter, and their accurate shooting and composure within the arc giving them a three-point lead at half-time. The remainder of the game was tightly contested; both teams scoring big in the paint (42 for Guaros to Concordia's 48). Diego Garcia's low post play giving a big edge to Guaros, his amazing performance ended with 23 points off the bench. While for Concordia, Anthony Smith had 25 points, but the stand out was Rigoberto Mendoza De La Rosa, who had 23 points and put together big scoring runs at crucial points in the game to keep Concordia's chances alive.
The game became more heated and competitive going down to the wire, with both teams managing to sneak in shots between intentional fouls. Guaros had a six-point lead heading into the final minute, where a jump shot from Mendoza De La Rosa and a three pointer from Smith gave the Argentinian team a chance to tie proceedings, but as it transpired they could do no more. In the final seconds Guaros were able to hold on to possession long enough for time to expire, and they survived yet another late scare from their opponents. They also went to within one victory of the title.
Concorida obviously benefited from the increased fan support for them, as the series moved on to their home court in Argentina.
Early in game three it was clear Guaros were not on the same form. Though they had the lead in the first quarter , largely thanks to some great three-point shooting from Luis Bethelmy, they struggled to take control of the game. Concordia, meanwhile, kept knocking down close range shots - they finished with 36 points in the paint - and did well to collect loose balls. Guaros’s front court did enough to keep their narrow lead, but Concordia kept pushing and eventually took the lead in the third quarter. From there on, they continued their effective inside play, taking their biggest lead of the game at eleven points, eventually winning 74-68. Rigoberto Mendoza de la Rosa had 18 points and 8 rebounds in this crucial win, in which Concrodia kept their championship hopes alive.
It was now Guaros's championship to lose, and as Game Four got underway, Concordia's three-point shooting made them look the better team. Heissler Guillent fought back for Guaros, though, and scored twelve successive points in the first quarter, which put Guaros in the lead at the buzzer. He was backed up by Luis Bethelmy, who was spot-on from long range, knocking down a total of five threes.
Not wanting to give up without a fight, Concordia displayed great skill and composure from close range to keep the game tight, even tying shortly after the start of the second half. Eight of Concordia's players scored in this game, their short-range play saw them erase a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and Mateo Bolivar tied the scores with 1:30 left. Nestor Colmenares responded with a jump shot, and later a free-throw, and a final three-pointer from Bethelmy with seconds left sealed the game and the 2017 Liga Sudamericana for Guaros.
For Guaros de Lara, this is their third inter-continental title in as many years, having won two Americas League championships prior to this. This caps off a sensational run for the team and cements them as one of the biggest forces in South American, if not international, club basketball. Great basketball from Concordia put their opponents to the sword, and they were worthy title contenders, but here just came up short.
For more, visit the official Liga Sudamericana website.
