Boca saw off San Martín and reached the Liga Nacional quarter-finals | OneFootball

With steady steps and wearing the badge of back-to-back champion: Boca left no doubts in Corrientes, completed the sweep to take the series 3-0, and is already among the top eight. It’s clear that the winner of the last two editions of the National Basketball League is going all in for a three-peat.

In a thrilling game not for the faint of heart, Boca defeated San Martín 101-97 on the road. The standout player and the man pulling the strings for the team was Lucas Faggiano, who put on a show and took home the game’s MVP with 16 points and a 20 efficiency rating.

The start of the game, understandably because of what was at stake for the home team, was an uphill battle. San Martín came out with a knife between its teeth to avoid elimination and imposed a frantic pace from the opening tip. Although Michael Smith and Santiago "Panda" Scala struck from beyond the arc to try to balance things out, the team from Corrientes was sharp, made us uncomfortable on offense, and took the opening quarter 28-18.

Boca won 101-97 and wrapped up the series 3-0 against San Martín.

But Boca is Boca, and if there’s one reason it has dominated national basketball in recent years, it’s because of the quality and depth of its roster. In the second quarter, Nicolás Casalanguida shuffled the pieces and the second unit responded perfectly. The introductions of Juan Martín Guerrero and Wayne Langston gave the team freshness and solutions, taking advantage of the opponent’s lapses. The Xeneize stepped on the gas, trimmed the gap, and we went into halftime just four points down (48-44), making it clear to the home side that trouble was coming.

After coming back from the locker room, the DNA of the back-to-back champion showed up. San Martín tried to withstand the charge by staying strong on the boards, but its lack of accuracy started to weigh heavily. Boca smelled blood and didn’t forgive: with a dominant stretch from Smith, the tireless push of Pipi Barreiro, and the intelligence of Faggiano, we managed to take the lead. From there on, it was blow for blow. The red-and-black side managed to head into the final break up by the minimum (70-69), but it already felt like control belonged to blue and gold.

The Xeneize celebrated in Corrientes.

The final quarter had the usual playoff tension. While the home team depended almost exclusively on whatever Lucas Gargallo could come up with to stay alive, the Xeneize showed off its class in crunch time. In a neck-and-neck finish, Boca was much clearer mentally. Led by Faggiano and Barreiro, the team delivered on the possessions that burn, sealed the final 101-97, and closed out a commanding 3-0 series win. The dream of a three-peat is more alive than ever!

Boca Basketball’s next rival

Thanks to this victory, the team coached by Nicolás Casalánguida advanced as the highest-seeded team among those that came through the reclassification round. Because of that, it will face the lowest-ranked of the top regular-season teams, those that qualified directly for the quarterfinals. As a result, in the next round it will take on Oberá Tenis Club from Misiones.

Keep reading:

Boca’s reserve team couldn’t get past Independiente and said goodbye to the top spot

Boca heads to Santiago with heavy rotation to face Central Córdoba

With the new rule: why Boca is second in Libertadores Group D

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.