Africa-Press – Angola. 1.o de Agosto beat Interclube 77-59 yesterday at the Cidadela Main Pavilion in the second game of the semi-final play-offs of the Senior Men’s National Basketball Championship, Unitel Basket, and tied the series (1-1), played in a best-of-five format. With a solid performance in the second half and 21 points from the military team’s winger Valdemar Avelino, the match was marked by two distinct moments. Interclube dominated the first half, while 1.o de Agosto took full control in the second half.
The team coached by Ricardo Rodrigues came out determined to extend the advantage gained in the first game, trying to put themselves one win away from the final of the 47th edition of the competition. The first quarter was balanced and very competitive, with Geovani Kibinga and Gelson Calunga leading the Interclube attack, which closed the period with a slight advantage of 20-19. On the military side, collective play was the main weapon to maintain balance.
In the second quarter, Interclube maintained a slight advantage and appeared to be more in tune, making things difficult for their opponents. The 23-19 partial in favor of the police set the score at 43-38 at half-time.
The response came at the beginning of the third quarter when Valdemar Avelino hit two consecutive three-pointers and put 1.o de Agosto ahead on the scoreboard (51-45), at a time when Interclube was struggling.
In the third quarter, the military team only allowed six points and scored 19. In the last period, Interclube still tried to react, but lacked offensive consistency. The military team remained cohesive, protected the basket well and controlled the game until the final whistle, securing a comfortable victory by 77-59 and tying the tie.
Petro, with the advantage (1-0), will host Sporting today at 7:00 pm at Cidadela for the second game of the semi-final.
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