2018 FIBA Americas League Group E Full Report
We are down from sixteen teams to eight in this year's Americas League, with the second group stage getting underway to decide the first two teams to contest the Final Four.
The first of the two groups, Group E, was hosted by San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina. San Lorenzo earned their place here as winners of Group B, while the runners-up of that group, Mogi Das Cruzes from Brazil, also secured a place in Group E. Joining them were the respective winners and runners-up of Group A - Ferro Basquet, also of Argentina, and Mexican team Fuerza Regia de Monterrey.
All of these teams were hungry for a final four spot, and there was no more room for error as the stakes in the tournament get higher.
Caio Torres got the scoring in Group E underway, with a jump shot and free-throw for Mogi Das Cruzes after a minute of play. A three-pointer from Ferro’s Mauro Cosolito seconds later levelled everything up, though. The teams exchanged baskets like this throughout the first quarter, with neither side able to break away. Mogi had the best chances of the two, and despite being pulled back frequently by Ferro, they led by eight points at half-time.
When the game re-started, Mogi Das Cruzes put up six unanswered points to go eleven in front. Ferro’s top scorer Mauro Costillo did all he could in the second half to halt Mogi, and having helped to narrow the gap, a three-pointer mid-way through the fourth quarter put Ferro back on top by two. Larry Taylor’s three-point shooting quickly switched the scoreline back in Mogi's favour, and his team mate Tyrone Cunnell put up the last points of the game to make the win official for the Brazilian team. A dramatic start to the second group stage of the Americas League.
Fuerza Regia de Monterrey put the scare into San Lorenzo early on in both teams’ opening game. Some really impressive three-point shooting from Monterrey saw them lead by three points at the end of the first quarter. Marcos Mata made a layup toward the end of a flat second quarter to put San Lorenzo into the lead, and Jose Vildoza added two more to make it a two-possession game. In the second half, San Lorenzo went further and further into the lead behind consistent play in the low post, while with Monterrey's shots continuing to fall short, frustration started to settle in. Marcos Mata had an impressive 24 points, along with 9 rebounds, as his San Lorenzo team stayed the course and pleased the home crowds with a big 24-point win.
On day two, Ferro led Monterrey from the first minute and twenty two seconds of play. Eight first-half threes from Ferro helping them on their way to lead by 18 points when the teams went to the locker rooms. They also had the best chances in the third quarter, in which they took their biggest lead of the game at 28. Monterrey out-shined Ferro from the field, but despite that and 30 points in the final quarter, they couldn't catch up in time. Ferro's Franco Balbi led all scorers in this one with 19 points, while Karim Rodriguez played high percentage basketball off the bench for Monterrey, finishing with 16. It was Ferro who picked up the vital win here, 80 points to 70.
It was a high-pressure affair when San Lorenzo took on Mogi Das Cruzes - both sides played top defence early on, not wanting to allow easy looks. In Q2, San Lorenzo's frontcourt kept putting up points in the low post, eventually giving them their biggest lead of the game at 11. Mogi's short-range shooters fought back - in particular Tyrone Cunnell, who had 25 points in the game - and late in the third the scores were tied.
Javier Jusitz kept finding the net from close range for San Lorenzo, while Mogi's Shammell Stallworth kept hitting from long range. San Lorenzo were hard-pressed to hold on to their slender lead down the stretch, when Nicolas Aguirre made a three-pointer in the final minute - the deciding play in this game. Mogi Das Cruzes were unable to get another shot off, and San Lorenzo breathed a big sigh of relief as they took the win by four and remained unbeaten at home.
Against Mogi Das Cruzes, Jordan Glynn was big out of the gate for Fuerza Regia on day three. His eight first-quarter points put his team ahead by six early on, but by the end of quarter the lead was Mogi’s thanks to Shamell Stallworth and Caio Torres. Both put up 20 points and played consistently from close range to maintain a comfortable lead for Mogi. Monterrey kept trying to find a way back, outscoring their opponents in the second half, but they could not match Mogi for strength and consistency. Glynn was the standout in the game finishing with 23 points, all but two coming from three-point territory, but it was Mogi Das Cruzes who got the win, 75 points to 69.
San Lorenzo and Ferro jostled for the lead as the final game in the group got underway. San Lorenzo had the lead, but Ferro kept the scoreline tight with their close-range shooting. Having been four down, Franco Balbi and Kevin Hernandez put Ferro up by six in the second quarter. Marcos Mata and Jose Vildoza levelled the scores just before the half, and San Lorenzo took the lead after the game restarted. Ferro got to within two at the mid-point of the third, but with a good effort from the three-point line, San Lorenzo stretched their lead to double-digits. Ferro made one last effort to keep themselves alive in the league, putting up 18 points in the last five minutes of the game, but they could not shake San Lorenzo off their rhythm. Gabriel Deck had 26 points in the game for San Lorenzo, who topped Group E and sent Ferro home with a 73-65 win.
So Mogi Das Cruzes will advance to the final four along with San Lorenzo. They will be joined by the top two teams of Group F, which will also be played in an Argentinian city, Corrientes, from 9th-11th of March. Until then, for more on the Americas League, including updates, news and full stats on every game, visit the official website of the competition.
