NBB Round 17 (Regular Season): Leader Minas get another victory

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Leader Minas delivered the twenty first win on Thursday night. This time they crushed 19th ranked Mogi (3-20) 102-65 in Belo Horizonte. Minas dominated down low during the game scoring 40 of its points in the paint compared to Mogi's 20 and made 23-of-28 free shots (82.1 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Mogi 38-23 including 27 on the defensive glass. Minas looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. The best player for the winners was Argentinian guard Luciano Gonzalez (194-1990) who scored 20 points (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). The former international power forward Renan Lenz (207-1990, college: Utah) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds. Naturalized American Shamell Stallworth (195-1980, college: USF) produced 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Minas (21-3) have an impressive series of eleven victories in a row. They maintain first place. Mogi lost fifth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 20 lost games. Minas are looking forward to face Sao Paulo (#12) at home in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Mogi will play against Caxias do Sul (#15) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that they can break losing series.
Important game to mention about took place in Sao Paulo. Sixth ranked Paschoalotto/Bauru (15-9) saved a 1-point victory on the road edging 10th ranked Corinthians (11-12) 71-70 on Tuesday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Corinthians. Naturalized French Pedro Mendonca (196-1995) saved the victory by scoring 15 points and 6 rebounds. Anderson Rodrigues contributed with 13 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. American guard Elyjah Clark (190-1998, college: MSSU) answered with 21 points for Corinthians. Corinthians' coach Silvio Santander tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Paschoalotto/Bauru. Despite that victory Bauru went down to seventh position due to points difference. Corinthians at the other side keeps the tenth place with 12 games lost. They share the position with Pinheiros. Bauru will play against Pato (#13) in Pato Branco in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Corinthians' supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Sao Paulo Sesi Franca.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Sao Paulo, where higher ranked Paschoalotto/Bauru (15-9) lost to thirteenth ranked Pinheiros (11-12) in a road game 76-84 on Thursday. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Paschoalotto/Bauru. Federico Aguerre stepped up with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds for the winners. Pinheiros' coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Jeremy Hollowell responded with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Pinheiros moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Corinthians. Loser Paschoalotto/Bauru dropped to the seventh position with nine games lost. Pinheiros' supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Sao Paulo Sesi Franca.

Other games of round 17 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Sao Jose defeated Pato in a road game 88-80. U.Corinthians was smashed by Cerrado at home 75-103. Cearense lost to UniFacisa on the opponent's court 73-80. Botafogo was outscored by Flamengo in a home game 78-102. Sao Paulo managed to beat Pato on the road 80-74. U.Corinthians defeated Brasilia on its own court 73-59. Cerrado beat Caxias do Sul in Brasilia 86-72. UniFacisa lost to Paulistano at home 69-75.
The best stats of 17th round was 17 points and 5 rebounds by Yan Barbosa of Pinheiros.



Pato - Sao Jose 80-88

There was no surprise in Pato Branco where 11th ranked Pato (11-14) was defeated by ninth ranked Sao Jose (12-11) 88-80 on Monday. Sao Jose shot 62.7 percent from the field. Venezuelan guard Pedro Chourio (196-1990, agency: Pro Sports) stepped up and scored 19 points and 4 assists for the winners and Argentinian point guard Diego Figueredo (185-1991, agency: BIG) chipped in 14 points and 8 assists. Venezuelan swingman Jose Materan (196-1996) responded with 21 points and forward Anderson Almeida (200-1996) scored 17 points and 6 rebounds. Five Sao Jose and four Pato players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Sao Jose moved-up to eighth place. Loser Pato dropped to the thirteenth position with 14 games lost. Sao Jose will meet at home U.Corinthians (#14) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Pato will play against Bauru and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Sao Jose: P.Chourio 19+1reb+4ast, L.Lema 14+6reb+2ast, D.Figueredo 14+1reb+8ast, R.Carbonari 12+7reb+2ast, D.Silva 11+2reb+3ast, V.Leal 10+7reb
Pato: J.Materan 21+3reb+3ast, A.Almeida 17+6reb, N.Barnes 16+1ast, F.Verissimo 10+4reb+4ast, N.Gabriel 7+5reb+3ast, S.Magna 5+7reb+1ast

U.Corinthians - Cerrado 75-103

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Santa Cruz do Sul where sixteenth ranked Cerrado (7-17) smashed 15th ranked U.Corinthians (8-16) 103-75 on Monday. Cerrado shot 61.5 percent from the field and made 24-of-31 free shots (77.4 percent) during the game. Cerrado outrebounded U.Corinthians 28-17 including a 22-11 advantage in defensive rebounds. Cerrado shot the lights out from three sinking 15 long-distance shots on high 57.7 percentage. Guard Matheus Silva (189-2001) stepped up and scored 20 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and the former international point guard David Rossetto (184-1992) chipped in 20 points. Five Cerrado players scored in double figures. Cerrado's coach Regis Marrelli felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American forward Duane Johnson (201-1991, college: ESU) responded with 23 points and Serbian guard Radovan Djokovic (196-1996) scored 10 points and 6 assists. Cerrado maintains sixteenth place with 7-17 record. U.Corinthians lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the fourteenth position with 16 games lost. They share it with Caxias do Sul. Cerrado will meet at home league's second-placed Flamengo in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. U.Corinthians will play against Sao Jose (#8) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Cerrado: D.Rossetto 20+1reb+3ast, S.Matheus 20+6reb+2ast, D.Draper 19+2reb+1ast, G.Santos 15+4reb, V.Haydin Daniel 15+3reb+3ast, S.Henrique 7+1ast
U.Corinthians: D.Johnson 23+4reb+2ast, R.Djokovic 10+6ast, M.Vinicius 9+2reb+2ast, K.Stephens 7+1reb, F.Thaylor 7+1reb+3ast, E.Ruiz 7+4reb+2ast

UniFacisa - Cearense 80-73

Very expected game in Paraiba where 9th ranked Fortaleza (12-13) was defeated by fifth ranked UNIFACISA (16-9) 80-73 on Tuesday. UniFacisa made 18-of-23 free shots (78.3 percent) during the game. They also forced 19 Cearense turnovers. Strangely Cearense outrebounded UniFacisa 39-22 including a 33-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. Argentinian Matias Solanas (192-1998) stepped up and scored 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and Bahamas David Nesbitt (203-1991, college: St.Thomas, FL) chipped in 11 points. Douglas Nunes (210-1987) responded with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 15 rebounds and point guard Cassiano Bueno (189-1997) scored 17 points (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!). Five Cearense players scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for UNIFACISA. Despite that victory UniFacisa went down to sixth position due to points difference. Loser Fortaleza keeps the ninth place with 13 games lost. UniFacisa will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cearense will play against Botafogo (#17) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
UniFacisa: M.Solanas 19+5reb+4ast, A.Bresolin 11+3ast, D.Nesbitt 11+4reb+1ast, F.Corvalan 9+1ast, R.Rafael 7+5reb, G.Hubner 7+3reb
Cearense: C.Bueno 17+3reb, D.McClanahan 15+2reb, D.Nunes 13+15reb+1ast, E.Ewing 11+4reb+2ast, S.Orresta 11+5reb+3ast, F.Gabriel 6+1reb

Botafogo - Flamengo 78-102

Very predictable result in Rio de Janeiro where second ranked Flamengo (20-4) outscored 17th ranked Botafogo (6-19) 102-78 on Tuesday. Flamengo outrebounded Botafogo 42-30 including 34 on the defensive glass. Flamengo looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists. The former international guard Didi Louzada (195-1999) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 10 rebounds for the winners and American power forward Devon Scott (206-1994, college: Dayton) chipped in 18 points and 10 rebounds. Four Flamengo players scored in double figures. Point guard Matheusinho Brito (184-2000) responded with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists and American guard Isaac Thornton (193-1991, college: Fairmont St.) scored 13 points and 4 assists. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the third consecutive win for Flamengo. They maintain second place with 20-4 record behind leader Minas. Botafogo lost their seventh game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the seventeenth position with 19 games lost. Flamengo will meet Cerrado (#16) in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Botafogo will play against Cearense in Fortaleza and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Flamengo: D.Louzada 24+10reb+3ast, D.Scott 18+10reb+2ast, G.Galvanini 14+9reb+3ast, M.Tavares 13+5reb+2ast, G.Pereira 13+1reb+4ast, F.Balbi 8+2reb+10ast
Botafogo: R.Santiago 16+1ast, I.Thornton 13+4reb+4ast, O.Caio 9+4reb+1ast, M.Brito 9+7reb+7ast, J.Smith 9+4reb+2ast, D.Hobson 8+2reb+2ast

Corinthians - Bauru 70-71

Important game to mention about took place in Sao Paulo. Sixth ranked Paschoalotto/Bauru (15-9) saved a 1-point victory on the road edging 10th ranked Corinthians (11-12) 71-70 on Tuesday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Corinthians. Naturalized French Pedro Mendonca (196-1995) saved the victory by scoring 15 points and 6 rebounds. Anderson Rodrigues (207-1997) contributed with 13 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Four Paschoalotto/Bauru players scored in double figures. American guard Elyjah Clark (190-1998, college: MSSU) answered with 21 points and the former international center Rafael Hettsheimeir (210-1986) added 19 points in the effort for Corinthians. Corinthians' coach Silvio Santander tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Paschoalotto/Bauru. Despite that victory Bauru went down to seventh position due to points difference. Corinthians at the other side keeps the tenth place with 12 games lost. They share the position with Pinheiros. Bauru will play against Pato (#13) in Pato Branco in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Corinthians' supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Sao Paulo Sesi Franca.
Top scorers:
Bauru: P.Mendonca 15+6reb+1ast, R.Anderson 13+7reb+1ast, J.Hollowell 12+3reb+2ast, D.Brite 11+6reb+2ast, G.Sacco 9+1ast, M.Maciel 4+6reb
Corinthians: E.Clark 21+2reb+3ast, R.Hettsheimeir 19+4reb+1ast, L.Caue 12+8reb, L.Demetrio 7+13reb+1ast, I.Goncalves 5+3reb+1ast, O.Daniel 4

Pato - Sao Paulo 74-80

There was a minor upset in Pato Branco where 11th ranked Pato (11-14) was defeated by thirteenth ranked Sao Paulo (11-13) 80-74 on Wednesday. Sao Paulo made 19-of-21 free shots (90.5 percent) during the game. The former international point guard Henrique Coelho (184-1993) stepped up and scored 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals for the winners and center Ralfi Ansaloni (211-1987) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds. Four Sao Paulo players scored in double figures. American point guard Nate Barnes (182-1990, college: ABU) responded with 26 points and center Gabriel Novaes (208-2001) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the third consecutive win for Sao Paulo. They moved-up to twelfth place. Loser Pato dropped to the thirteenth position with 14 games lost. Sao Paulo will meet league's leader Minas in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Pato will play against Bauru (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Sao Paulo: R.Ansaloni 16+8reb, T.Curnell 12+4reb+1ast, M.Miller 12+3reb+2ast, H.Coelho 11+7reb+6ast, B.Duarte 10+4reb+1ast, R.Fischer 8+2reb+5ast
Pato: N.Barnes 26+1reb+2ast, N.Gabriel 17+10reb, A.Pecos 8, F.Verissimo 7+5reb+5ast, M.De Souza 7+4reb+1ast, E.Sommer 5+8reb+3ast

U.Corinthians - Brasilia 73-59

Everything went according to plan in Santa Cruz do Sul where fifteenth ranked U.Corinthians (8-16) won against 18th ranked Brasilia (4-20) 73-59 on Wednesday. U.Corinthians outrebounded Brasilia 40-28 including 29 on the defensive glass. Argentinian guard Enzo Ruiz (194-1988) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners and Jamison Costa (199-2000) chipped in 18 points. Four U.Corinthians players scored in double figures. Guard Paulo Da Costa (193-1994) responded with 18 points and American guard Christian Alaekwe (193, college: St.Thomas, TX) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. U.Corinthians moved-up to fourteenth place, which they share with Caxias do Sul. Loser Brasilia keeps the eighteenth position with 20 games lost. U.Corinthians will meet higher ranked Sao Jose (#8) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Brasilia will play against Caxias do Sul (#15) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
U.Corinthians: C.Jamison 18+4reb+1ast, E.Ruiz 16+10reb+1ast, D.Johnson 12+4reb+4ast, R.Djokovic 10+5reb+5ast, P.Nunes 8+7reb+1ast, K.Stephens 5+7reb+2ast
Brasilia: P.Da Costa 18+3reb+1ast, C.Alaekwe 14+5reb, T.Cooper 7+5reb+4ast, A.Dalaqua 7, T.Oliveira 7+6reb+1ast, A.Allan 6+7reb+2ast

Caxias do Sul - Cerrado 72-86

We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams when 15th ranked Caxias do Sul (8-16) was defeated at home by sixteenth ranked Cerrado (7-17) 86-72 on Wednesday. Cerrado made 21-of-27 free shots (77.8 percent) during the game. Guard Daniel Von Haydin (194-1999) stepped up and scored 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and point guard Guilherme Santos (189-1997) chipped in 23 points and 5 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Four Cerrado players scored in double figures. Cerrado's coach Regis Marrelli used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American point guard Kenny Dawkins (177-1987, college: Lamar) responded with 11 points and 6 rebounds and Wesley Alves (198-1996) scored 11 points and 5 rebounds. Cerrado maintains sixteenth place with 7-17 record. Caxias do Sul lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the fourteenth position with 16 games lost. They share it with U.Corinthians. Cerrado will meet at home league's second-placed Flamengo in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Caxias do Sul will play against Mogi (#19) in Mogi das Cruzes and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Cerrado: G.Santos 23+5reb+2ast, V.Haydin Daniel 22+5reb+5ast, D.Rossetto 11+3reb+6ast, D.Draper 11+5reb, W.Maicon 9+8reb, S.Henrique 3
Caxias do Sul: W.Sena 12+1ast, K.Dawkins 11+6reb+3ast, W.Alves 11+5reb+3ast, D.Conceicao 10+3reb, C.Leonardo 8+4reb, A.Konsztadt 8+3reb+2ast

Minas - Mogi 102-65

Leader Minas delivered the twenty first win on Thursday night. This time they crushed 19th ranked Mogi (3-20) 102-65 in Belo Horizonte. Minas dominated down low during the game scoring 40 of its points in the paint compared to Mogi's 20 and made 23-of-28 free shots (82.1 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Mogi 38-23 including 27 on the defensive glass. Minas looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. The best player for the winners was Argentinian guard Luciano Gonzalez (194-1990) who scored 20 points (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). The former international power forward Renan Lenz (207-1990, college: Utah) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds. Four Minas players scored in double figures. Naturalized American Shamell Stallworth (195-1980, college: USF) produced 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and power forward Luiz Paulo Dos Santos (210-1989, college: Slippery Rock) added 7 points and 8 rebounds respectively for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Minas (21-3) have an impressive series of eleven victories in a row. They maintain first place. Mogi lost fifth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 20 lost games. Minas are looking forward to face Sao Paulo (#12) at home in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Mogi will play against Caxias do Sul (#15) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that they can break losing series.
Top scorers:
Minas: L.Gonzalez 20+4reb+3ast, R.Lenz 17+6reb, R.Mineiro 11+7reb, F.Baralle 10+1reb+4ast, A.Paranhos 9+2reb+1ast, F.Vezaro 8+2reb+4ast
Mogi: L.Gustavo 15+2reb+1ast, S.Stallworth 13+5reb+4ast, S.Lukas 11+3reb, L.Paulo Dos Santos 7+8reb+3ast, R.Victor 7+2reb+3ast, L.Lacerda 6+1reb+2ast

UniFacisa - Paulistano 69-75

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Paraiba where sixth ranked Paulistano (16-8) defeated 5th ranked UNIFACISA (16-9) 75-69 on Thursday. Paulistano outrebounded UniFacisa 43-26 including 32 on the defensive glass. Victor Camilo (203-1997) stepped up and scored 17 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and naturalized American guard Kevin Crescenzi (192-1993, college: Dartmouth) chipped in 18 points. Paulistano's coach Renan Custodio used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international Andre Bresolin (195-1987) responded with 13 points and 7 rebounds and the former international center Guilherme Hubner (209-1987) scored 15 points and 6 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Four UniFacisa players scored in double figures. Paulistano moved-up to fifth place. Loser UNIFACISA dropped to the sixth position with nine games lost. Paulistano will meet Cearense (#9) in the next round. UniFacisa will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Paulistano: K.Crescenzi 18+4reb+2ast, V.Camilo 17+7reb+1ast, L.Doria 14+4reb+1ast, A.Lucas 10+2reb, B.Vitor 7+7reb+1ast, B.Rayson 5+2reb+2ast
UniFacisa: G.Hubner 15+6reb+1ast, F.Corvalan 14+2reb+1ast, A.Bresolin 13+7reb+3ast, T.Gaskins 10+1reb+2ast, M.Solanas 8+4reb+4ast, D.Nesbitt 7+3reb

Pinheiros - Bauru 84-76

We should mention about the upset which took place in Sao Paulo, where higher ranked Paschoalotto/Bauru (15-9) lost to thirteenth ranked Pinheiros (11-12) in a road game 76-84 on Thursday. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Paschoalotto/Bauru. They outrebounded Bauru 48-27 including a 17-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Pinheiros looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Italian-Argentinian forward Federico Aguerre (203-1988) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds for the winners and Serbian-Portuguese center Sasa Borovnjak (206-1989, college: Penn St., agency: 011 Sports) chipped in 17 points and 8 rebounds. Pinheiros' coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American Jeremy Hollowell (203-1994, college: Georgia St., agency: BIG) responded with 15 points and 8 rebounds and the other American import point guard Dontrell Brite (175-1994, college: Mount Olive) scored 16 points and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Pinheiros moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Corinthians. Loser Paschoalotto/Bauru dropped to the seventh position with nine games lost. Pinheiros' supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Sao Paulo Sesi Franca.
Top scorers:
Pinheiros: B.Yan 17+5reb, S.Borovnjak 17+8reb+2ast, F.Aguerre 14+15reb+2ast, F.Ruivo 13+3reb+10ast, J.Oliveira 8+6reb+5ast, B.Adyel 6+4reb+2ast
Bauru: D.Brite 16+1reb+5ast, J.Hollowell 15+8reb+2ast, R.Anderson 13+6reb+1ast, M.Cabrera 12+3reb+2ast, G.Sacco 8+4reb+1ast, P.Mendonca 8+3reb+2ast