Metropolitan Round 25 (Regular Season): Larranaga beat U.Atletica by one after a very close game

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game of round 25 in the Metropolitan took place in Montevideo. This derby game ended with only one-point defeat on the road of much higher ranked U.Atletica (15-7) to fifth ranked Larranaga (14-9) 81-80 on Thursday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of U.Atletica. Larranaga made 20-of-23 free shots (87.0 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of naturalized Argentinian power forward Agustin Zuvich (201-1995) who helped to win the game recording 25 points and 9 rebounds. Argentinian Mateo Bolivar (187-1992) contributed with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. American-Nigerian Okanu Kingsley (202, college: GVSU, agency: Helping Ballers) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 14 rebounds for U.Atletica. Larranaga have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Goes. U.Atletica at the other side keeps the second position with seven games lost.
Metropolitan top team - Olimpia (18-5) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed seventh ranked Colon (12-12) 90-67. Forward Rodrigo Brause (194-1995) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists for the winners and Stan Scott chipped in 23 points and 9 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). At the losing side guard Guillermo Curbelo (187-2001) responded with 22 points and 7 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Olimpia maintains first place with 18-5 record. Colon lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with 12 games lost.
A very close game took place in Montevideo (derby !!!) between Montevideo and Lagomar. Twelfth ranked Montevideo (10-13) got a very close home victory over 4th placed Lagomar (13-10). Montevideo managed to escape with a 2-point win 86-84 on Thursday evening. Xavier Couste nailed 39 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds for the winning side. Victor Andrade came up with 22 points and 8 rebounds for Lagomar in the defeat. Lagomar's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total twelve players in this game, but that didn't help. Montevideo moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with L.Borges. Loser Lagomar dropped to the fifth position with ten games lost.

Other games in round 25 were not that significant. Capitol beat Montevideo on the road 79-69. Sayago won against Stockolmo on its own court 67-64. Tabare managed to outperform O.Mundial in a road game 70-68. Capitol managed to beat Stockolmo at home 91-78. Bohemios were defeated by Goes on the opponent's court 96-81. Sayago beat Verdirrojo in a home game 71-66.
The most impressive performance of 25th round was 19 points and 15 rebounds by Randy Rickards of Verdirrojo.



Montevideo - Capitol 69-79

No shocking result in a game when eighth ranked Capitol (12-11) beat on the road 12th ranked Montevideo (10-13) 79-69 on Monday. Capitol made 21-of-25 free shots (84.0 percent) during the game. Capitol outrebounded Montevideo 42-31 including 30 on the defensive glass. Point guard Luciano Planells (185-2001) nailed 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the winning side and forward Martin Aguilera (195-1987) accounted for 15 points and 14 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws). Five Capitol players scored in double figures. Center Mauricio Arregui (200-1998) came up with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds and guard Hernan Alvarez (182-1999) added 8 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists respectively for Montevideo in the defeat. Capitol moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Tabare. Montevideo lost their sixth game in a row. They dropped to the eleventh position with 13 games lost. They share it with L.Borges.
Top scorers:
Capitol: L.Planells 19+6reb+7ast, M.Bianchi 15+10reb+3ast, M.Aguilera 15+14reb+2ast, C.Bascou 11+4reb, M.Barriola 10+6reb+2ast, S.Tucuna 6+2reb+1ast
Montevideo: X.Couste 16+3reb, M.Arregui 15+14reb+1ast, L.Perez 14+3reb+1ast, A.Amaral 9+2reb+1ast, H.Alvarez 8+6reb+10ast, L.Bennett 5+1reb+1ast

Sayago - Stockolmo 67-64

There was a minor upset when 9th ranked Stockolmo (11-12) was edged on the road by eleventh ranked Sayago (10-12) 67-64 on Monday. Sayago made 21-of-23 free shots (91.3 percent) during the game. American center Earl Watson (201-1990, college: URI) nailed a double-double by scoring 12 points and 15 rebounds for the winning side and his fellow American import swingman Anthony Hilliard (195-1986, college: ECSU) accounted for 22 points and 6 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!). Argentinian forward Lucio Castellani (196-1994) came up with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists and guard Facundo Terra (187-1998) added 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for Stockolmo in the defeat. The victory was the third consecutive win for Sayago. They moved-up to tenth place. Stockolmo lost their third game in a row. They keep the ninth position with 12 games lost.
Top scorers:
Sayago: A.Hilliard 22+6reb+1ast, E.Watson 12+15reb+2ast, N.Lema 8+5reb, J.Garbarino 8, E.Bonet 6+1reb, M.Tessadri 5+3reb
Stockolmo: L.Castellani 15+15reb+4ast, F.Terra 12+7reb+5ast, T.Copelotti 12+3reb+3ast, M.MacMullen 7+3reb+2ast, I.Gadnich 6+1reb+1ast, N.Garcia 6+1reb

Colon - Olimpia 67-90

Metropolitan top team - Olimpia (18-5) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed seventh ranked Colon (12-12) 90-67. Olimpia outrebounded Colon 48-30 including a 34-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. Olimpia players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists comparing to just 12 passes made by Colon's players. Forward Rodrigo Brause (194-1995) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists for the winners and American guard Stan Scott (193-1998, college: MSSU) chipped in 23 points and 9 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). At the losing side guard Guillermo Curbelo (187-2001) responded with 22 points and 7 rebounds and point guard Giovanni Corbisiero (180-2002) scored 9 points and 9 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Olimpia maintains first place with 18-5 record. Colon lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with 12 games lost.
Top scorers:
Olimpia: S.Scott 23+9reb, R.Brause 17+6reb+11ast, J.Viana 10+2reb, D.Nunes 10+9reb+3ast, I.Decena 7+4reb+1ast, A.Mendez 6+1reb
Colon: G.Curbelo 22+7reb+1ast, M.Oyenard 9+7reb+4ast, G.Corbisiero 9+9reb+3ast, P.Rusch 9+2ast, N.Rodriguez 7, N.Lemos 6+3reb

O.Mundial - Tabare 68-70

Very predictable result when seventh ranked Tabare (12-11) edged bottom-ranked O.Mundial (6-18) in Montevideo 70-68 on Tuesday. Tabare forced 20 O.Mundial turnovers. American Tirrell Brown (198-1993, college: OBU) nailed 26 points and 9 rebounds for the winning side and guard Juan Zanotta (185-1995) accounted for 22 points and 8 assists. Facundo Medina (190-1994) came up with 17 points and 6 rebounds and guard Thomas Araujo (192-2004) added 21 points respectively for O.Mundial in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Tabare moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Capitol. Loser O.Mundial stay at the bottom position with 18 games lost.
Top scorers:
Tabare: T.Brown 26+9reb, J.Zanotta 22+3reb+8ast, S.Pernas 7+2ast, G.Viera 6+2ast, R.Cardozo 5+11reb+2ast, J.Borrallo 3+4reb
O.Mundial: T.Araujo 21+3reb, F.Medina 17+6reb+1ast, G.Brun 8+3reb+1ast, N.Bessio 6+5reb+7ast, J.Tucker 5+4reb+2ast, A.Varela 5+7reb+1ast

Capitol - Stockolmo 91-78

Everything could happen in Montevideo at the game between two tied teams. Both eighth ranked Capitol and 9th ranked Stockolmo had identical 11-11 record. This time Capitol used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Montevideo 91-78 on Thursday night. Capitol dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Stockolmo's 30 and made 20-of-24 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. Mateo Bianchi (203-2002) nailed 23 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side and forward Martin Aguilera (195-1987) accounted for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Capitol's coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Argentinian forward Lucio Castellani (196-1994) came up with 26 points and 5 rebounds and guard Facundo Terra (187-1998) added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists respectively for Stockolmo in the defeat. Four Capitol and five Stockolmo players scored in double figures. Capitol (12-11) moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Tabare. Stockolmo lost their third game in a row. They keep the ninth position with 12 games lost.
Top scorers:
Capitol: M.Bianchi 23+9reb+5ast, L.Planells 19+5reb+5ast, M.Aguilera 17+8reb+4ast, S.Tucuna 11+4reb+1ast, C.Bascou 8+3reb+2ast, M.Barriola 4+6reb+3ast
Stockolmo: L.Castellani 26+5reb+1ast, F.Terra 16+6reb+7ast, M.MacMullen 12+3reb+2ast, T.Copelotti 11+3reb+1ast, N.Garcia 10+2reb+2ast, I.Gadnich 3+3reb+2ast

Goes - Bohemios 96-81

Everything went according to plan when fifth ranked Goes (14-9) defeated 13th ranked Bohemios (8-15) in Montevideo 96-81 on Wednesday. Goes looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American forward Justin Strings (201-1996, college: Sacramento St.) nailed a double-double by scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the winning side and his fellow American import Zoran Talley (198-1994, college: Iowa St.) accounted for 17 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Talley is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Forward Octavio Medina (195-1996) came up with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and point guard Brian Garcia (182-1990) added 22 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) respectively for Bohemios in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Bohemios' coach rotated ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the sixth consecutive win for Goes. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Larranaga. Loser Bohemios keep the thirteenth position with 15 games lost.
Top scorers:
Goes: J.Strings 24+10reb+6ast, C.Pereira 17+5reb+6ast, Z.Talley 17+10reb+4ast, M.Mayora 12+8reb+3ast, L.Previatti 11+1reb, J.Nunez 9+4reb+3ast
Bohemios: O.Medina 27+10reb+5ast, B.Garcia 22+3reb, T.Verbauwede 12+7reb+1ast, A.Da Costa 11+7reb+2ast, J.Panelli 5+2reb+2ast, D.Tortajada 4+6reb+1ast

Larranaga - U.Atletica 81-80

The most exciting game of round 25 in the Metropolitan took place in Montevideo. This derby game ended with only one-point defeat on the road of much higher ranked U.Atletica (15-7) to fifth ranked Larranaga (14-9) 81-80 on Thursday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of U.Atletica. Larranaga made 20-of-23 free shots (87.0 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of naturalized Argentinian power forward Agustin Zuvich (201-1995) who helped to win the game recording 25 points and 9 rebounds. Argentinian Mateo Bolivar (187-1992) contributed with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. American-Nigerian Okanu Kingsley (202, college: GVSU, agency: Helping Ballers) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 14 rebounds and Argentinian point guard Sebastian Alvarez (185-1989) added 18 points and 6 assists in the effort for U.Atletica. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Larranaga have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Goes. U.Atletica at the other side keeps the second position with seven games lost.
Top scorers:
Larranaga: M.Bolivar 26+6reb+5ast, A.Zuvich 25+9reb+3ast, J.Jones 13+5reb+1ast, M.Nobile 10+3ast, M.Cancela 5+3reb+3ast, N.Borsellino 2+7reb+1ast
U.Atletica: O.Kingsley 18+14reb+3ast, S.Alvarez 18+6ast, I.Loriente 13+3reb+5ast, A.Cabillon 11+2reb, P.Macanskas 7+3reb, S.Wohlwend 7+3reb+4ast

Montevideo - Lagomar 86-84

A very close game took place in Montevideo (derby !!!) between Montevideo and Lagomar. Twelfth ranked Montevideo (10-13) got a very close home victory over 4th placed Lagomar (13-10). Montevideo managed to escape with a 2-point win 86-84 on Thursday evening. Montevideo made 23-of-29 free shots (79.3 percent) during the game. They also forced 26 Lagomar turnovers. Naturalized Italian forward Xavier Couste (186-1999) nailed 39 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds for the winning side and forward Juan Diego Cabillon (192-2000) accounted for 5 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Cape Verdean Victor Andrade (202-2000) came up with 22 points and 8 rebounds and point guard Andres Aristimuno (184-1992) added 10 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals respectively for Lagomar in the defeat. Four Lagomar players scored in double figures. Lagomar's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total twelve players in this game, but that didn't help. Montevideo moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with L.Borges. Loser Lagomar dropped to the fifth position with ten games lost.
Top scorers:
Montevideo: X.Couste 39+5reb+2ast, M.Arregui 13+2reb, L.Perez 10+6reb, H.Alvarez 8+2reb+2ast, E.Delgado 6+9reb+3ast, A.Amaral 5+2reb+3ast
Lagomar: V.Andrade 22+8reb, S.Moglia 14+3ast, C.Modernell 12+1reb+2ast, A.Aristimuno 10+9reb+7ast, F.Haller 9+4reb, G.Barrera 9+5reb+6ast

Sayago - Verdirrojo 71-66

There was no surprise when 14th ranked Verdirrojo (7-15) lost on the road to eleventh ranked Sayago (10-12) 71-66 on Thursday. Sayago outrebounded Verdirrojo 47-31 including 37 on the defensive glass. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Sayago made 7 blocks. Forward Tomas de Leon (195-1999) nailed a double-double by scoring 13 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists for the winning side and point guard Emiliano Bonet (186-2001) accounted for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Sayago players scored in double figures. American forward Randy Rickards (201-2000, college: WILMU) came up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds and point guard JMartin Mayora (181-1995) added 19 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists respectively for Verdirrojo in the defeat. The victory was the third consecutive win for Sayago. They moved-up to tenth place. Loser Verdirrojo keeps the fourteenth position with 15 games lost.
Top scorers:
Sayago: E.Bonet 17+8reb+4ast, M.Tessadri 13+5reb+2ast, T.de Leon 13+14reb+4ast, A.Hilliard 12+7reb+3ast, N.Lema 6+3reb, G.Silvarrey 5+2reb+2ast
Verdirrojo: T.Holloman 20+1reb+4ast, R.Rickards 19+15reb+1ast, J.Mayora 19+5reb+7ast, N.Koster 5+3reb+1ast, F.Hornos 3+4reb+2ast, D.Garcia 0