Tatui edge Fluminense for top spot as Liga Ouro 2026 regular season wraps up

Grupo BT/Clube de Campo de Tatui claimed first place in the Liga Ouro 2026 regular season after a tightly contested 10-round campaign that saw the Sao Paulo side and Fluminense locked in a two-horse race for supremacy atop Brazil's second division. Both clubs finished with identical 77.8 percent records and 16 points, but Tatui earned the top seed by virtue of a superior point differential — a margin built largely on the back of dominant home performances at Ginasio Manoel Soares and an impressive road record that included a pivotal seventh win in eight games at Guarapari against Instituto Viva Vida/Cetaf that clinched early qualification. The battle for first place swung back and forth throughout the second half of the regular season. Tatui seized the initiative with a commanding 79-68 victory over Fluminense in the direct confrontation, opening an 18-point lead before weathering a late Tricolor rally. Leonardo Bispo (206-F/C-1996) led the charge with 22 points and nine rebounds, while the veteran Rafael Castellon (191-G-1985) — the all-time leading scorer in Liga Ouro history, now in his sixth season — provided the steady hand Tatui needed. Point guard Robson Jr., who previously featured in the NBB Caixa with Cerrado Basquete and was named best point guard at the 2025 Campeonato Paulista, orchestrated the offense throughout.
Fluminense responded by winning the return fixture 74-67 at Ginasio Joao Coelho Netto in Laranjeiras behind 21 points from Lucas Brito, reclaiming first place. But a Round 9 loss at Brusque — where Samuele Para (PF-2004) exploded for 26 points in an 87-79 home win for the Santa Catarina side — dropped the Rio de Janeiro club back to second on point differential heading into the final round.
Brusque Basquete, coached by Durval Prado, locked up third place and a direct semifinal berth alongside Tatui. The Arena Brusque proved a difficult venue for visitors all season, with the home crowd providing a genuine fortress atmosphere for the ambitious Santa Catarina project.
Further down the table, Unoesc Basket Joacaba, Instituto Viva Vida/Cetaf and Betim/Contagem America Towers filled out the bottom three spots. Cetaf earned a notable first win of the competition on the road against America Towers, powered by Jaheim's 22 points and a double-double from JV Martins, providing a morale boost for the Espirito Santo club heading into the playoffs.
The regular season, which ran from February 23 through April 10 across venues in five states, showcased the Liga Ouro's growing competitive depth in its second edition since being revived in 2025 after a five-year hiatus. All six teams — representing Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo — now advance to the playoff stage, where the ultimate prize awaits: the right to apply for promotion to the NBB Caixa, Brazil's top tier, for the 2026-27 season.
The playoff bracket is set. Tatui and Brusque advance directly to the semifinals as the top two seeds. In the quarterfinals, Joacaba faces Cetaf/IVV while Fluminense takes on Betim America Towers, with the lower seed hosting in single-elimination format. The semifinals follow the same structure before the championship is decided in a best-of-five final — the only series in the tournament that extends beyond a single game.